Song of the Muse
by SJO
Summary: A Superhero unlike any other! New Chapter up based on Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo, just before Invocation.
1. Gear's Gift

Song of the Muse  
  
A Static Shock Fanfic Collection by SJO  
  
I don't own "Static Shock" (Warner Brothers and possibly DC Comics does). This is a short series based on a superhero I always wanted to create, a foretaste of things to come. Please tell me what you think and if this is working for you. By the way, if there are any inconsistencies with the unoriginal characters, it's probably because I missed several episodes in the TV series. I'm trying to catch up even as we speak, but it's going to take a while.  
  
Episode 1: Gear's Gift  
  
It was a typical day in Dakota--sunny, warm, and terrorized by crime. Luckily, Static was on the case. Gear was not.  
  
The only explanation Richie would give for not helping was that he had a large project on his hands. Virgil could not guess what that could be; they didn't have any major homework. He got back to the old gas station where he found Richie crouched over a strange contraption. "So what's going on, bro?" Virgil asked. As he came in closer, he saw it was a baseball cap painted all the colors of the rainbow and decorated with flashing, colored Christmas lights. "School Spirit Week already? I gotta fish out that Dr. Seuss hat I won at the state fair last year. 'Course I'll never top this."  
  
"It's not for Wacky Hat Day," Richie replied rather sternly. "It's my first patented invention."  
  
"Patented? Richie, don't sell a fashion fad! Sure, it'll be hot for a while, but--"  
  
"It's not a fashion statement! It's based on this." Richie held up a green, dome-shaped hat. "I made this a few months back. It modifies and translates EEG waves in my brain."  
  
"You mean it makes your amazing, lightning-quick brain go even faster?" Virgil tried the prototype on. "Wow! Remind me to borrow this before finals."  
  
Richie took it off. "Actually, it's designed to make my brain slow down a little."  
  
Virgil raised his eyebrow. "But . . . you could speed it up if you wanted to, right?"  
  
"It doesn't need to be sped up, V. Remember when I told you that my brain felt like it was on fire? Well, that feeling was keeping me awake. I went for several nights without sleeping because my mind was just jumping around all over the place. I made this to focus my thoughts. It works very well."  
  
"Oh, I see. Well, it's important for all superheroes to be well-rested."  
  
"That's not all. Check this out." He put the prototype on and touched a knob on the side. A gigantic image of various computer parts coming together appeared before them. "Sometimes it just helps for me to see my inventions come together before I start inventing. Visualizing it in my brain isn't always enough."  
  
"That is cool. So, who are you making this one for? Another genius?"  
  
"Yeah. Aunt Claire is coming this weekend. I thought this would be beneficial for her daughter, my cousin."  
  
It was Virgil's turn to be serious as he asked, "How are you going to explain this to her?"  
  
"I got that covered. I'm going to say I did a lot a research on the mind from publications written by the most noted psychologists in history. It's true."  
  
"Well, actually I mean how are you going to explain all of these crazy colors and lights?"  
  
"My cousin's only eight. She likes colors, but she loves fantasy and most of all magic. So, I want to make it look magical, and I'm even calling it the Magic Hat. You think she'll like it?"  
  
Virgil looked at the new hat and smiled. "Yeah, I think she will. So, when can I meet this genius?"  
  
Richie hesitated. "I don't know if you'd want to."  
  
"Sure I do, if she's as smart as you and not even a bang baby." Virgil paused as another horrible thought occurred to him. "Are her parents racists, like you pops was?"  
  
Richie glared as he muttered, "Parent, and no she's not."  
  
"Oh." Virgil felt a sting in his heart. He knew what that was like.  
  
Richie smiled to lighten the mood a little. "In fact, sometimes I wonder if Aunt Claire was once a hippie. She takes on that weird persona sometimes. I don't really understand why; she's much too young. But it's probably why she named her daughter Precious Swan."  
  
Virgil laughed. "I bet your cousin hates that name now. Everybody at her school probably quotes 'Lord of the Rings' to her all the time." He did his best Gollum impression as he said, "My Precious."  
  
Richie just stared at Virgil with a troubled look, and though he did not know what to say. Virgil shrugged. "What?"  
  
Richie opened his mouth, but then Backpack sounded a tone. "That would be Dad. Backpack, cellphone!" The obedient robot crept up to his master and handed Richie the phone with a metallic arm. "Hey Dad. What's up? . . . They're here? Already? . . . Well, I just thought, since Metropolis is so far, I didn't expect them until . . . Alright. Well I got a pretty big thing I'm working on right now, but I'm almost done . . . Yeah, I'll be back by 5:00. Can Virgil come? We were just talking about Precious, and . . ." (Richie started talking softer, and his tone turned serious again.) "What do you mean? . . . . . That's not going to be a problem, Dad . . . Yeah, I'm sure, Virgil's mature enough to understand. I'm sure Aunt Claire would welcome him with . . . Oh I see. Tomorrow morning then? Good. See you in a little bit."  
  
Virgil stared at Richie. "What was that about?"  
  
Richie sighed. "Old habits are hard to break. Sometimes Dad thinks he has an open mind, but--"  
  
"I see. You think I shouldn't come?"  
  
"No, no! I want you to come. It'll be good for you and for her. But they came a long way, and they're both really tired. Company might overwhelm them. It may be best if you come in the morning. You gotta understand, Virg, Precious is unlike anyone you've ever met."  
  
"It's ok. I'm used to different. After the Big Bang, the word 'different' hardly has any meaning, you know?"  
  
"Yeah, but this is a different kind of different. You may not be used to it."  
  
The next hour or so was rather quiet. Richie worked on his project, and Virgil waited. Sometimes he broke the silence with a wisecrack or two, but Richie rarely responded. He was clearly dedicated to his work.  
  
"Well, we're just about done here," Richie said to himself. "Let's see what time is . . . Holy Toledo! 4:45?!? And this paint and glue will never dry!"  
  
"Allow me!" Virgil said suavely. He held his hands above the hat and created a dome of static electricity around it. Then he levitated the hat and spun it around like a dryer. Finally he let the hat go, caught it with his hand, spun on his finger, and tossed it to Richie. "There you go, compliments of Static's electric drying service. Nobody dries better!"  
  
Richie looked at him. "I'm not sure if you should have done that. You could have modified some already delicate calibrations."  
  
"Well excuse me for trying to help."  
  
"Oh, don't take it that way. I'm sure I'll be able to fix it. See you tomorrow morning." Richie put the hat in a shoebox and ran for home.  
  
***************  
  
The next morning, after Virgil came downstairs, he was not surprised to find Sharon in the kitchen. "Well, well, well, look who can't wait for my biscuits."  
  
Virgil scoffed. "Not this time, Emilrette. I'm having breakfast at Richie's. He has this cousin I want to meet."  
  
Sharon stopped kneading her dough. "Wait, that's Precious Swan isn't it?"  
  
"Yeah, how do you know?"  
  
"My psychology professor told me about her. In fact, I might be seeing her later. Listen, just in case I don't, you better take notes. Tell me what it's like."  
  
"Oookay," Virgil responded. He couldn't remember Sharon ever being that frank with him. "Precious must be some kind of smart," he said to himself.  
  
He made it to Richie's about an hour later. Richie greeted him at the door and led him in. A woman who looked just like Sheryl Crow was sitting at the table in the kitchen. "V, this is my Aunt Claire. Aunt Claire, this is my best friend Virgil."  
  
She smiled and shook Virgil's hand. "Whoa, man, I'm digging those dreads."  
  
Virgil laughed and slicked back his hair. "Thanks, I don't hear that a lot."  
  
"Well, you should. They're groovy."  
  
Virgil looked at Richie, remembering the hippie comment. They both burst out laughing.  
  
"Virgil!" Mr. Foley had just come in the kitchen and shook his hand. "How are you, young man?"  
  
"Very well, Mr. Foley, thank you."  
  
"Well big brother Sean, I see you have finally learned to open your mind and accept your fellow man," Claire said.  
  
"Claire, let us not live in the past," Mr. Foley grumbled.  
  
"Yeah," Richie interjected. "I'm hungry now. What's for breakfast?"  
  
Everybody laughed. Mrs. Foley came in with pancakes. For a while, the family all talked about school and other present events. Yet the young cousin never made a show.  
  
"So, where is this little genius Richie told me so much about?" Virgil asked.  
  
"Little genius?" Claire asked, raising her eyebrow at Richie.  
  
Richie shrugged. "She's the smartest kid I know."  
  
"Precious is in the den watching Saturday morning cartoons," Mrs. Foley answered.  
  
"May I go meet her?" Virgil asked.  
  
All the adults looked at him surprised. "Sure," Mrs. Foley nodded slowly.  
  
"Good luck," Claire said softly.  
  
Virgil chuckled. "Thanks, I think." Virgil went down to the den. He didn't realize it, but Richie was following him. There in the den was a young girl, wearing jeans and a purple T-shirt. She had curly, brown hair that went down to her shoulders. Her green eyes stared at the TV as she slowly ate the cut-up pancakes in the tray in front of her. She wasn't smiling.  
  
Virgil sat down beside her and extended his hand. "How's it hanging? My name's Virgil, Richie's best friend."  
  
Precious didn't even look at him. "She must be shy," Virgil thought. "Well, I can break the ice with the old Hawkins charm."  
  
"So what you watching?" he asked. "'Samurai Jack,' huh? Oh, I like this show! He's awesome, and man that voice of his . . . I don't know how Phil LaMarr does it."  
  
Precious didn't move.  
  
"How's school? Learning your multiplication tables yet? I bet you don't have any trouble with those. Richie tells me you're really smart."  
  
Still nothing.  
  
Virgil noticed a book beside her. "What you reading? 'The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe'? Oh, I remember that book! My second grade teacher read it to my class."  
  
She was still quiet. "Maybe it's about time I went for the old joke," he thought. "If you don't mind, Precious, I want to do something. Only once, I promise." He cleared his throat and once again did his Gollum impression. "Come to me, my Precious!"  
  
Finally, she turned to Virgil and looked at him with a glazed-over expression. Then she turned back to the TV.  
  
Virgil laughed and spoke in his normal voice. "Ok, I'm sorry. I know you get that all the time. I'll leave you alone."  
  
He patted her shoulder. "UHHHHHH!" Precious grunted. She started thrashing around.  
  
"What's wrong? Did I shock you?"  
  
Precious continued to grunt, and she slapped Virgil's face.  
  
"OW! Alright, I'll leave." As he got up, Virgil saw Richie watching him. Virgil walked out the room and said, quietly but angrily, "Richie, why didn't you tell me she was so rude?"  
  
"It's not rudeness, Virgil," Richie answered. "She doesn't know any better. I tried to tell you, but maybe I should have been clearer. Precious is autistic."  
  
"Well, I'm glad she has that talent too, but that gives her no excuse to--"  
  
"No, V. Not 'artistic,' autistic."  
  
"I don't follow."  
  
"Autism is a developmental disorder. There are a lot of physical and social deficits, but it's a good deal mental too. Her mind works much like mine does now. There's always something going on up there. But unlike me, Precious is so enraptured by whatever's in her mind, she's unable to connect with the real world. She doesn't talk, she doesn't look at people, and she doesn't like to be touched. I don't think she really understands what people are. It's like she's alien among her own kind."  
  
"Oh man, that's awful. I can't begin to imagine what that's like."  
  
"I know. I guess that's part of the reason I kept it quiet, you being such a people person and all."  
  
"So, she's not really smart?"  
  
"It's hard to say. Some autistic people are also mentally retarded, but others are so smart their minds work faster than a computer. I think Precious is one of those. I mean, she taught herself to read at age three, and now she reads on a sixth grade level, and she's only old enough to be in second grade."  
  
"And she isn't?"  
  
"Well, she's in a special school. I don't know a whole lot about it, but it's for the . . . underprivileged. I don't have a lot of high hopes."  
  
"I don't get it. How can she benefit from your invention?"  
  
"I told you! Oh wait, you weren't here when I was explaining it in detail. See, my theory is she's trapped in her mind, within her own world. Somewhere in there is a little girl trying to get out. I'm hoping that the Magic Hat will sift out her thoughts and free that little girl that has been hidden from us for so long. Yet at the same time, the hat will leave her comfortable and willing to adjust to the change by easing her turbulent mind and projection her imagination."  
  
"You think it'll work?"  
  
"I hope so. When I told Aunt Claire about the Magic Hat, she told me what she's doing here in Dakota. She's been in an e-mail correspondence with a psyche professor at Dakota U, one Dr. Temple. He's an autism expert. She had been planning to have him meet Precious for the first time and talk to him one on one, but now she also wants to show him the Magic Hat. I kinda wish I knew that. If I knew this was going to be semi-public, I would have given it as Gear. I mean, if this is successful I might have to discuss it a press conference!"  
  
"We'll have to think about that."  
  
"I guess I'm not too worried. I was up all night doing some last minute tune-ups, and I think there are still some glitches I haven't been able to get out. And I know this won't cure her, just make things a little more manageable. That might be what Dr. Temple is looking for."  
  
"You know, I think Dr. Temple is Sharon's professor. Do you mind if I tag along?"  
  
"Actually, I think I'd like you to."  
  
"OK. If you don't mind, I wanna go think of some things."  
  
"Alright."  
  
Virgil went to the upstairs bathroom. He splashed some cold water on his face, stared into the mirror, and thought about what Richie told him. How can anybody not know what people are, especially when people are always around you? Maybe everybody has things wrong. Does she have so big an ego that she refuses to interact? How can she be so cold? It must feel terrible. Does she even want to interact? How could she not?  
  
As he kept thinking, he heard a sound outside. He peeked out of the door. It was Precious sneaking into Richie's room. Virgil silently followed her and tried to keep an eye on her and somehow get her out if she found anything divulging their secret identities. She went straight to Richie's desk. Virgil held his breath; Richie's shock box was in plain sight. Yet Precious ignored it entirely. She opened up a shoebox and pulled out the Magic Hat.  
  
Precious stared at it. She put it on, looked in a mirror, and smiled. Virgil couldn't believe it. "Well, I can tell Richie that she does indeed like it," he thought.  
  
Then Precious noticed something else on the desk. Luckily, it wasn't the shock box. It was a pair of Richie's shades. It wasn't his blue shades. These were kinda . . . violet colored. She put them on and smiled even bigger.  
  
Then she noticed a knob on the side of the hat. She started to turn it, and the Christmas lights twinkled. Her smile faded, and she stared at her reflection in awe. She continued to turn to knob. The Christmas lights flashed at a quicker frequency. Her face became more transfixed. And then, she spoke one word in a frail, whispering voice that sounded as though it had never been used before.  
  
"Magic."  
  
A white light flashed out of nowhere. "Uhhhh!" Precious cried out.  
  
"Precious, are you alright?" Virgil asked quickly.  
  
Precious turned around. Her face was filled with a strange expression. Virgil couldn't place it--amazement, fear, surprise, wonder, or all of the above? What was happening? Precious waved her arms erratically. Mossy trees seemed to grow behind her. "It's ok, Virg," he thought, "they're just holograms." But then, with another wave of her hand, a large ribbon of orange flew toward Virgil and knocked him back! "Well, I know only one guy who can take care of this," Virgil said to himself.  
  
Meanwhile in the kitchen, the rest of the Foley family was talking until they heard noises upstairs. "Precious, sweetie? Are you ok?" Aunt Claire called up.  
  
"What's going on up there?" Mrs. Foley asked. "Almost sounds like a jungle."  
  
Richie didn't like it at all, though he had no idea what it could be. "I gotta go. I just remembered, I need to . . . clean my room." He ran upstairs before anyone could question him.  
  
"That was a strange excuse," Aunt Claire said aloud. "Did he even think that his cousin might be in trou--"  
  
Just then, there was a knock on the window. Mrs. Foley and Aunt Claire looked out to see Static grinning and waving at them. Aunt Claire opened the window for him. "You must be this young man Static I've heard so much about."  
  
"Yeah," Static answered as he came in. "Is anything wrong?"  
  
"Well, we are hearing strange noises upstairs. My daughter is up there, and she . . . she's different."  
  
"And my son's up there!" Mrs. Foley added.  
  
"I saw a disturbance from the upstairs window. Just stay here. I'll take care of it." Static started running for the stairs.  
  
"Hey, where's Gear?"  
  
"He's not here already? He should be here soon."  
  
Static met Richie in the hallway. "Man, you're really taking a risk here. What if one of your family members saw you coming here in your costume?"  
  
"I know, but this is an emergency! What's going on?"  
  
"She put on your hat a little prematurely and turned it on full blast. You won't believe it, she--"  
  
A loud roar cut him off. A lion had appeared before them. "Well, what are you waiting for? Shock it!" Gear ordered.  
  
Static did, but it did no good. "It's like that kid from a few years ago, Dwayne. Attacks won't have any effect because these things aren't real."  
  
"Yeah, they're holograms. A little extra light would probably--"  
  
"I think they're a little bit more than just holograms. I mean, a hologram just bruised me five minutes ago."  
  
"Then you try to find some way to take it down. I'll try to get to the source."  
  
"So, what lion are you?" Static asked the hologram. "Mufasa? Simba? Wait, I know who you are-- (What was his name again? Oh yeah) Aslan!"  
  
The lion just roared.  
  
"Don't you talk? I kinda remembered that you . . . well, maybe you don't this time. Look, your majesty, I don't want to hurt you--" The lion suddenly charged at him. Static just nearly dodged the attack. "And I really don't want you to hurt me. So, can we form a compromise of some sort?" The lion did not look very compromising. "Alright, then I'm afraid . . . I'm going to have to . . ." (Static looked around for something to attack the hologram with, when he saw something most appropriate in the master bedroom) "hit you with this stone table!" He grabbed the table with his magnetic powers and prayed that it would not break. The table crashed down on the lion, which promptly disappeared.  
  
Yet just when Static was done wiping the sweat of his forehead, another dangerous hologram appeared. This time it was an angel with a flaming sword held in his hand. "Man, now I know how Balaam's donkey felt," Static observed as the angel tried to hit him. He was able to get the sword out of the angel's hands with his Static Cling, and immediately the angel disappeared.  
  
"Quick Static, in here!" Gear called. Static ran straight into Richie's room. Gear closed the door.  
  
"You got her?" Static asked.  
  
"She's here, and she's fine. It was tough getting her, though. The closer to the source, the more chaotic the holograms." He gestured to Precious, who was sitting in a corner, rocking back and forth and moaning to herself. Strange colors and shapes surrounded her.  
  
"She looks so scared," Static said sadly.  
  
"Yeah, I think that's the problem too. I'm gonna change that." Gear knelt down to her and spoke gently. "Precious? Hey, there's no reason to be scared, alright? We're your friends. We're here to help you."  
  
Precious moaned again and started rocking more vigorously.  
  
"Look, Precious, it's ok. It's not like I'm a stranger. You know me. Look." Gear started taking off his helmet.  
  
"What are you doing?!?" Static yelled.  
  
Richie turned to him once he got his helmet off. "Well, it's not like she's gonna tell anybody."  
  
"Oh. I guess that's true."  
  
Richie looked back at his cousin. "See? It's me, Richie you're cousin. Remember? You did that magic show for me last year. You know him, too!" Richie turned around. "V, take off your mask."  
  
"Why? I'm not family. She doesn't even like me."  
  
"But if she recognized you, maybe she'll calm down."  
  
"I don't think it'll make a difference."  
  
"OK." Richie turned back to the girl. "Precious, this is my friend. We're both your friends, and we don't want to hurt you. You don't have to be afraid. OK?"  
  
Precious blinked a few times and then sat still. The holograms around her began to fade.  
  
"'Atta girl," Richie said with a smile. "Now, I need your hat, please."  
  
He took it off her head. "Uhh! Uhhhh!" Precious grunted as she made grasping gestures in the air.  
  
"Sorry, it's not ready for you to wear yet. You can have it back in a little bit. You can keep the shades, though."  
  
"Yeah, they look good on you," Static quipped.  
  
Precious still reached for the hat.  
  
"Hey, maybe this will help." Static handed Precious back her book. Precious immediately opened it and stared into the pages. "I thought you'd like that," Static whispered.  
  
Richie put his helmet back on. "See you later, Precious. Be a good girl, and be quiet."  
  
Precious didn't answer.  
  
"Wow," Virgil said as he closed the door. "Did you mean to make those holograms so realistic?" Virgil asked.  
  
"Me? This was YOUR fault!" Richie replied with a glare.  
  
"My fault?!"  
  
"Yeah, with your electric drying service. I knew that would mess up the circuits and other delicate workmanship."  
  
"You know what I think? This is going to sound weird, but I think she did it."  
  
"Don't even try to put the blame on her!"  
  
"But I saw her put it on, man. What was she doing in your room, anyway?"  
  
"Her shows must have been over, and she must have been mindlessly wandering around the house as she dreamed. Autistic children have a history of doing that."  
  
"OK, well she was messing with the knob, and I heard her say something. It sounded like 'magic.'"  
  
"I told you, she doesn't talk."  
  
"I know, but it was just one word. I mean, this could mean your invention works, just too well."  
  
******************  
  
"I'm supposed to meet Dr. Temple at 3:00," Aunt Claire told the boys at lunch. "So since we have a little time to kill, why don't you guys be our tour guides around Dakota? I'd like to do a little window shopping."  
  
"Uh, I don't think we where the stores you'd want to see are," Richie nervously observed.  
  
"That's ok. You can show me where you'd like to go, and we can find what interests me along the way. Or we could just go the mall. I know you got a pretty good mall."  
  
"Sure," Virgil shrugged.  
  
So Precious and Aunt Claire went to the mall, and Virgil and Richie showed them around. Mostly Aunt Claire wanted to look at clothes, and she once stopped into a new age store. They had to pass by the comic store. Precious looked longingly into the toy store, but they passed that by too. "No, no, Sweetie. Don't let go of my hand," Aunt Claire scolded gently.  
  
"Oh, isn't that cute?" Aunt Claire cooed as they were looking into the clothing store Rant. She was staring at a tie-dye outfit that was every color of the rainbow, and then some. "And it looks like Precious' size. You like it, Honey? Why don't we go try that on?"  
  
About ten minutes later, Precious came out of the dressing room with the outfit on. She wasn't smiling, but there was a look in her eyes that said she really liked the clothes. "Oh, it's looks adorable!" Aunt Claire said enthusiastically.  
  
"Yeah," Virgil nodded, "those threads rule!"  
  
"And check this out." Richie pulled out the magic hat and put it on Precious' head. "It matches perfectly!'  
  
"Oh, that definitely completes the outfit. I'm going to ask the clerk if she could wear this home."  
  
Just then, Virgil started hearing noises. He looked toward the food court and saw Ebon, Talon, Aquamaria, and Shiv--the Metabreed. Virgil nudged Richie and pointed outside. Richie nodded. "Hey Aunt Claire, if you don't mind, Virgil and I want to grab a bite to eat at the food court. It's just across the way."  
  
"Alright, Richie. We'll meet you there in fifteen minutes."  
  
Virgil and Richie ran to the nearest restroom and changed. When they came back out, they couldn't find the Metabreed in the food court. "They must have dispersed," Static said.  
  
"Uh oh, look." Gear pointed to Rant. Shiv and Talon were already beginning to terrorize the clothing store.  
  
"I'm on it."  
  
"No, you go after Ebon. If either of them try to get Precious--"  
  
"That's just it. She knows who you are now, and when she sees you she might get too excited."  
  
"Oh, you got a point. Take good care of her."  
  
"No problem, man."  
  
Shiv grabbed an expensive outfit in the window, tore it up, and then held it up to his chin. "So Talon, what do you think? Is it me?"  
  
"I think it makes you look fat!" Static said.  
  
"Static, I wasn't asking you!" Shiv got his weapons ready, and they engaged in battle. One time Static was beaten back and nearly fell into Aunt Claire.  
  
"Well, twice in one day!" she said gleefully. "Are any Dakota natives this lucky?"  
  
"Most don't consider themselves lucky," Static snickered. He noticed that Precious was staring at him. He saw that Precious would not take her eyes off of him as he continued to fight. It occurred to him that last time she did not see him in action, and now that she saw that he had power she was stunned.  
  
Talon was raiding the cash register. Static tried to stop her, and she turned around and shrieked. "Ahh!" Precious screamed. She covered her ears and started rocking again. Static saw Precious all scared and tried harder to wrap up his battle with Talon. When Talon shrieked again, Precious ran out of the store with her ears covered. Nobody noticed.  
  
Finally, it seemed Static had them subdued. "Dude you are good!" Aunt Claire said. "Why I saw my daughter--Precious? Precious? Precious Swan Llewellyn? Where are you?"  
  
"I'll find your daughter," Static offered.  
  
"Yes, please, search everywhere. Be careful."  
  
Static flew out. Shiv and Talon stealthily sneaked out and escaped. Gear saw the frightened look in Static's face and abandoned his fight. "What happened?"  
  
"I don't know; she's gone."  
  
"Oh no! You look around the first floor, and I'll check the parking lot."  
  
"Good plan." Hey flew around everywhere calling, "Precious! Precious! Come to me, my Precious," this time in his normal voice. He spotted Daisy and Frieda kinda eyeballing him, probably thinking that he was looking for his girlfriend. He didn't care about that right now.  
  
Meanwhile, the Metabreed was regrouping and meeting in the shadows. "Looks like they abandoned the good fight," Aquamaria said.  
  
"Who do you think that 'precious' girl of Static is?" Talon asked.  
  
"Frankly, I don't care," Shiv answered. "Ebon, this might be a good time to bail."  
  
Ebon glared at him. "Did we get what we came for?" he demanded.  
  
"Uh, yeah, of course we did," Talon muttered, plainly lying.  
  
Ebon brought his face up to her and glared. "We'd better. Come on. We're going."  
  
He formed a tunnel behind them, and they started going in. None of them knew they were being intensely watched. An innocent bystander came close to the tunnel as Shiv was going in, stared at the phenomenon, and whispered to herself, "Magic."  
  
"Precious?" Static found her at last as she had discovered Ebon's talent. "Precious, no!" But it was too late. She disappeared into the tunnel, and the tunnel disappeared with her. He didn't have enough time to throw in a tracer or anything. "Oh man, what now?"  
  
Static told Gear, and they both told Aunt Claire together. She started crying, and she wouldn't stop. "Don't worry, ma'am," Gear told her. "Backpack will find her, and we'll see to it that the Metabreed doesn't touch her. Your daughter will be fine." Then Gear said privately to Static. "While I go search for Precious, why don't you talk to her? Comfort her a little bit."  
  
"Ooookayyy," Static nodded. He sat down beside the sobbing aunt. "It's alright, ma'am. You won't believe how quick Backpack is. You're daughter's going to be ok."  
  
"I know, but she's had a history of wandering off like this, and I always get so scared. She's never aware of her surroundings. I knew that one day something like this would happen. I try so hard to keep her close. I'm an awful mother."  
  
"No, no, don't say that. Don't blame yourself. It was Ebon who took her. Your daughter's not quite on the up and up on the bang babies here, is she?"  
  
"Well, she was only four when the big bang happened. Besides, we're not from Dakota."  
  
"Oh really. Where you from?"  
  
"Metropolis."  
  
"Superman's home?"  
  
She started to calm down a little. "Yes, but since he started the Justice League we hardly see him anymore, or Green Lantern."  
  
"Green Lantern's from Metropolis?"  
  
"I thought he was. I saw him years ago, and I could have sworn it was a completely different guy. I mean, the differences were rather obvious. Don't get me wrong; the new lantern is doing a wonderful job. I just wonder sometimes what happened to the guy I saw. Anyhow, I think it would have been good if they were still around regularly. My little girl would have been so fascinated by them. See, she's obsessed with magic. She loves all the fantasy books--Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Narnia, Oz, Peter Pan, everything. I think she wishes deep down inside herself that she was part of those books, you know that she could really do magic."  
  
"Does she understand that she . . . can't?"  
  
"Oh, of course. She loves the Bible too, and I talked with her about how real witchcraft is evil. But she still tries to have a magic all her own. Last year I gave her a magicians kit. She learned most of the tricks and was able to do them easily, but she quit playing with it quickly. I think she was ultimately unsatisfied. 'Cause you know, that kind of thing isn't the magic that fantasies are made of. Your powers, on the other hand, are. I know it's all got a scientific base, but it still seems like real magic."  
  
Static sighed and looked the other way. "Unfortunately, the same can be said of most metahumans, even the unsavory ones."  
  
Aunt Claire burst into tears again. Static put his arm around her. "My Precious is a good girl. We just have been through so much. Her daddy left her. He didn't divorce me or anything. He just walked out. He said she was a freak. He wanted a normal girl, and he couldn't make her normal. He doesn't call me. He doesn't pay child support. I never saw him again. It's like we never knew each other. So, I'm doing my best to raise her on my own. And all my neighbors, all the ladies in the grocery store, they all think it's my fault! Sometimes, I act a little younger than I am, a little more carefree. It's a way to cope with the pain. And they talk behind my back. They think I neglect her. Some say I experimented with drugs. I try to be the best mother I can be. It's so hard."  
  
Static patted her hand. "I don't know what to say. I don't know what all is wrong with your daughter, but I can understand some the pain you're going through."  
  
Just then, Gear's voice came through the Shock Box. "Static, I found her. She's fine. Get down here, a.s.a.p."  
  
"Yes sir. Thanks."  
  
"Mr. Static, sir," Aunt Claire said, "Thank you for talking to me."  
  
"No problem. It's part of my job."  
  
"Oh, and Static, this may not be appropriate right now, but I really like your hair."  
  
Static smiled and slicked his hair back. "Thank you, ma'am."  
  
************  
  
Poor Precious was tied to a chair. Ebon paced in front of his prisoner, and the rest of the Metabreed looked at her in interest.  
  
"I ask you again," Ebon growled. "What are you doing here?"  
  
Precious did not answer but stared at him with a flat expression.  
  
"TALK!" Ebon demanded. He looked her straight in the eyes. Precious' eyes darted toward Aquamaria.  
  
"I think you're a bit too hard on her, Ebon," Talon spoke up. "I mean, she might be deaf."  
  
"Or perhaps she doesn't speak English," Aquamaria suggested.  
  
"Either way, we can communicate with her." Talon walked up to the girl. "CAN YOU HEAR ME?" she screamed in Precious' face.  
  
"Uh!" Precious groaned and cringed.  
  
"¿Tu hablas español, niña?" Aquamaria asked. She then went off on a long Spanish conversation. Precious did not look like she understood a bit of it.  
  
"I think I know what the problem is here," Shiv said as he walked toward her. "She's a RETARD! Just look at this thing she's wearing! It's so stupid!" He turned the knob, and the lights flickered on. "Hey, that's kind of cool." He turned it up further.  
  
"FOOLS!" Ebon yelled. "The only reason this brat ain't talking is she's defiant. Leave her to me." He stared her down again and pointed his finger in her face. "You talk or I'll make you!" he threatened. Once again, Precious' eyes darted around the room. Ebon grabbed her face by the chin and squeezed her cheeks. "LOOK AT ME WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU!"  
  
"Aaaah!" Precious screamed. An explosion of color went off in front of her and knocked Ebon back. Precious continued to moan and rocked back and forth. The more frightened she looked, the more chaotic the holograms around her became.  
  
"Is she a . . . bang baby?" Shiv asked.  
  
"More likely she was a baby when the bang happened," Talon commented.  
  
"You idiots!" Ebon yelled. "It's a trick! She's trying to break free!"  
  
"And it's working!" a voice said above him. The Metabreed looked up to see Static and Gear crashing their party. The holograms faded away, and Precious was still again. Static was sure he saw her smile.  
  
"You let the girl go!" Gear demanded.  
  
"Sure, you can have her!" Shiv answered.  
  
"We have no use for la niña," Aquamaria added.  
  
"I don't think so," Ebon growled.  
  
"Huh?" everyone else in the gang said.  
  
"It's not like sidekicks to make such demands."  
  
"Uh, yeah Gear, you completely stole my line," Static said. He cleared his throat and repeated, "You let the girl go!"  
  
Ebon's eyes narrowed. "I think she means something to you."  
  
Gear opened his mouth to answer, but Static spoke first. "Of course she means something to us! She's a kid, and you napped her!"  
  
Ebon crossed his arms.  
  
"Look, I'm not one of those 'cheesy speech' superheroes, ok? You know just as well as I do that everybody values kids."  
  
Ebon pointed at Gear. "He places her at a higher value. I can see it in his eyes. Who is she, Gear? Your sister? The sister of your sweetheart? The kid you're babysitting?"  
  
"What do you care?" Gear yelled. "You don't know what she's like! She's forever scared and lost!"  
  
"Gear, that's enough," Static said through gritted teeth.  
  
"Look, if she means that much to you, then you're not getting her!" Ebon answered.  
  
"Hey, I don't want to keep the brat!" Shiv said.  
  
"Me neither," Talon shook her head.  
  
"Let's just fight, ok?" Aquamaria offered.  
  
"Fine by us," Static answered.  
  
Gear flew in close and whispered, "You take them on. I'll get the girl out of here."  
  
Static tried to follow that plan, but he was not able to successfully keep them occupied. Every time Gear went to free Precious, Ebon lunged at him and kept him from reaching the girl. Eventually, the rest of the Metabreed followed suit. They even took possession of Backpack. "If we keep this up, we're never gonna get out of here," Static thought. "I'm gonna mix things up."  
  
So while Ebon was occupied with Gear and Shiv was tackling Backpack, Static sneaked over to the chair. "Don't move," he whispered in Precious' ear. He used his powers to pull her straps apart. "Now, come on."  
  
"Static's got her!" Talon yelled. She flew in front of the two of them and shrieked. The force of the blast knocked them both back into a closet, and the door shut and jammed on them. Static sent a small jolt up to the light bulb above them. It was then that Static saw the real damage. Precious, with her hat askew, was rocking again, but this time she was also crying.  
  
"What's wrong?" Static asked. "Are you hurt?"  
  
Precious just moaned.  
  
"I think I understand. You're scared. This is very stressful on you. But it's almost over."  
  
Precious wailed all the louder. Static thought back to the last time that she was like this.  
  
"What are you doing?!?"  
  
"Well, it's not like she's gonna tell anybody . . .V, take off your mask."  
  
"Why? I'm not family. She doesn't even like me."  
  
"But if she recognized you, maybe she'll calm down."  
  
Virgil turned away and looked into space. He whispered, "What would you say, Moms? I know what I should do, but . . . help me." He took a deep breath and took off his mask.  
  
He turned back to Precious. "You see? You remember me, don't you? I'm Virgil, your cousin's friend. You probably think I'm a jerk, getting all up in your business a while ago. I just wanted to get to know you. I didn't know you didn't want to be bothered."  
  
Precious was beginning to straighten up, and she looked in Virgil's eyes with curiosity.  
  
"I know what it's like, you know," Virgil continued. He sighed and shook his head. "No, that's a lie. I don't know what it's like. But I do know some things. I know what it's like to be different. I know how awful it is to lose a parent, how that pain never leaves you. I know what it's like to have something inside of you that nobody really understands, not even you. And I guess sometimes I don't quite get people. I don't understand why it seems they hate so much. I really don't get those guys out there, why they chose to use the powers they have been blessed (or maybe cursed) with to use for bad. Sometimes it seems Gear and I are the only good guys around. But generally, I like people. And I like you. I hope that, in your own way, we could maybe be friends?"  
  
He extended his hand to her. Precious took it, but she didn't shake it. She took off the glove and touched his hand. Her hand looked so small in comparison. She stroked his palm and fingertips until she saw a tiny spark. "Magic," she whispered.  
  
"Yeah, it kinda is," Virgil nodded.  
  
Precious gazed into Virgil's face with a look of pity. "Virgil teach Precious magic, please?"  
  
Virgil was at first stunned that she said a full sentence. Even though it wasn't the greatest grammar, it was a step in the right direction. She was starting to break through at last. But then the gravity of her sentence hit, and he knew no easy way to answer. "I'm sorry, Precious. I can't."  
  
"Please," she repeated.  
  
"You don't understand. I didn't go to a school like Hogwarts and learn my powers. They just happened. They can't be taught. Believe me, I would if I could. No, no, don't cry! Listen, I believe there's a special kind of magic all your own, deep inside of you. Your cousin and I are trying to help you get it out, but it's all up to you to find it. OK?"  
  
Precious wiped her tears away and nodded.  
  
Virgil put her hat back on straight, then lifted her chin up gently. She didn't squirm or freak out. "Give me a smile, alright?" Precious grinned. "Good girl."  
  
Just then, they heard Richie scream. Precious got up and pushed on the door over and over. "I got it, honey," Virgil said as soon as he got his mask back on. "Stand back." He shot a current of electricity at the knob, and the door flew open.  
  
Ebon had wrapped around Gear and was squeezing him hard. Backpack was on the ground, torn up and shorted out. The rest of the Metabreed taunted him, until they saw Static had returned.  
  
"You're not going to get away now, Static!" Shiv yelled.  
  
"Si, I will short you out like I shorted out Gear's toy!" Aquamaria flew at full speed toward Static.  
  
"STOP!"  
  
The brisk order came from right behind Static. There was a shiver in the air, and everything . . . stopped. Nearly everyone was stuck in midair, including a puddle of water right in front of Static's face. Everyone looked shocked except for the person who gave the order--Precious.  
  
"I told you she could talk," Ebon growled, narrowing his eyes at the girl.  
  
"She is a bang baby. She's gotta be!" Shiv remarked.  
  
Precious ran out from behind Static. "Uh! Uhhh!" She made the same grasping motions as she made when Richie took her hat, except this time she was reaching for Gear. He fell out of Ebon's grasp. Gear got up. Precious smiled and took his hand. Gear was astounded.  
  
"What just happened here?" he asked Static.  
  
"I'll tell you what happened," Static answered quietly as he playfully rubbed Precious' head. "Magic."  
  
They looked at the Metabreed, still stuck. "How do we free them?"  
  
"Why don't we leave that for the cops to figure out?"  
  
Gear took Precious up in his arms, and they flew away. Once they got out of sight, Richie lifted the visor on his mask. "Thank you," he whispered and gave his cousin a kiss.  
  
***************  
  
It was sunset when Static and Gear got Precious back to her mother, and everyone was much too tired to talk to Dr. Temple. So, Aunt Claire took Precious to the Foleys' to get a warm bubble bath and turn in early. She treated the boys to pizza.  
  
"Oh, in all the scuffle, I forgot to ask you," Aunt Claire said, "where did you guys go? I went into the food court for a sundae to help me cheer up, and I didn't see you."  
  
"We should have called," Virgil said. "We heard that Precious was missing and went to look for her. Once we heard Static and Gear were on the case, we knew she was in good hands. So we came back here."  
  
"I wasn't as worried. You're grown boys. You can take care of yourself."  
  
"Yeah," Richie nodded. "Well, I got a big science project. May I be excused?"  
  
"Yes, son," Mrs. Foley nodded.  
  
Virgil had a couple more pieces of pizza, then he went up to check on Richie. As he expected, Richie was working on his superhero gear. "Fixing Backpack, huh?"  
  
"It's not as bad as it looks," Richie said. Just then, there was a small explosion. Virgil lifted an eyebrow at him. "OK, it's still bad, but it's not as bad as it looks." Richie sighed and pushed it away. "I'll finish this tomorrow." In its place, he placed the Magic Hat in front of him. He got out some pliers and other tools.  
  
"Hey wait, what are you doing?" Virgil said.  
  
"I'm taking some parts out of this hat."  
  
"What? But it works! She's starting to break through!"  
  
"You hit it on the head earlier today, Virg. It works, just too well. I'm toning it down."  
  
"No, no, it's perfect! Look, I don't know if it was your genius, my powers, or her imagination (it's probably a bit of all three). Whatever it is, I'm convinced there is real magic in that hat. "  
  
"But she can't control it. Every time she gets scared (and believe me, autistic kids get scared a lot), her powers are plunged into chaos. Her mother has enough worries."  
  
"I think she's starting to learn. You know what? Maybe she can't control it, but bro, that's where we come in."  
  
Richie stopped working and looked up. "What are you saying?"  
  
"Go ahead and take the parts out, but save them for another model. If you work on Magic Hat 2, I'll try to put together a costume. I'm sure I'll find something good in Sharon's old clothes."  
  
"Wait, you're not suggest--"  
  
"Well why not? She knows both of our secret identities. She might as well."  
  
"She's much too young!"  
  
"So? Robin was just a couple years older than she is when he started out. And the Powerpuff Girls are quite a few years younger."  
  
"But it takes so much athleticism, which she doesn't have!"  
  
"Well, her abilities make up for it. Besides, we weren't very athletic either when we got into this, remember?"  
  
"It's not going as easy to hide this from her mother."  
  
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."  
  
"Listen, I didn't want this to happen. I just wanted to help her function in this world, to be something close to normal."  
  
"I know, but after I talked with her moms, Precious and I conversated a little bit. I think this is what she wants. She wants to be something incredible. She wants to do things no normal human being can do. She wants to be like us. I mean, she would have probably given her two front teeth to have been part of the big bang. This is a real life fantasy. To her, it's magic. That's what she wants. I think she could be amazing if we let her. Moms always told me, 'You can be whatever you want to be. Climb as high as you want. I'll provide the ladders.' We got the ladders here. Don't break them apart and throw them away."  
  
As he was talking, the door opened just a little bit. Precious, who was in her pajamas, was standing in the doorway. Virgil turned around and smiled. "Hey girlfriend! We were just talking about you!" Virgil knelt down to her level. "How's it going? I know you had a hard day and all, but--"  
  
Suddenly, he was cut off as Precious did something very unexpected. She gave Virgil a hug. "Precious is Virgil's friend," she said softly.  
  
"You bet," Virgil answered.  
  
"Hey, is Richie Precious' friend?" the cousin eagerly asked.  
  
Precious gave Richie a hug too. "Precious loves Richie."  
  
"Right back at you," Richie answered.  
  
"Well, you better get on to bed," Virgil advised. "Sleep tight, ok?"  
  
"Ok," she answered, and she left.  
  
"Man. She did that without the hat, too. You really have something here with this thing."  
  
"Yeah." Richie shook his head and turned back to his work. "She's probably going to come back around Christmas, maybe Thanksgiving if we're lucky. So, I guess we have that long to figure out how we're going to do this."  
  
"Good! So, you're on board?"  
  
"Sure. But when we start, we're really gonna have to watch her."  
  
"Of course." Virgil started to leave, but he had one last thing to say. "We've seen what she's capable of. I don't think we'll have much to worry about."  
  
Coming soon: Episode 2, Birth of the Muse--"Let's start her off with something quick and easy," Richie says. But in a mob of thieves, Precious faces the greatest foe she will ever meet. She could lose her superhero status forever. 


	2. Birth of the Muse

Episode 2: Birth of the Muse

Note: I apologize that this is a little on the long side. I had a lot to say I guess. Oh, and Sylence to answer your question, I named Precious' last name after a dear friend of mine. He and another one of my friends make a music duo called the Llewellyn Swann Project, so as a tribute I named her Swan Llewellyn. I stole the idea of calling her Precious from my mom. OK, on with the story.

Months passed. Virgil did manage to get a costume together, but then he didn't give the prospective superhero a second thought. The shoebox that housed Magic Hat 2 gathered dust. Richie didn't hear very much from his aunt. So they pretty much forgot all about Precious until a call came out of the blue.

Gear and Static were at the gas station when Richie's cellphone rang. "Hey, I don't think I recognize that ring," Gear thought aloud. "Backpack, cellphone!" The robot gave him his phone. "Hello? . . . Who is this? . . ." Richie sat up straight in his chair, "Hey! How are you? . . . Good. Hey, does your mommy know you're calling? . . . Good. So, what is it? Do you need something? . . . Ok . . . Yeah, Dad told me. I'm looking forward to it . . . He sure is. In fact, he's right here. You want to talk to him? . . . Ok, here he is." Richie handed the phone to Static. "Somebody wants to talk to you."

"Alright." He took the phone. "Yo, wassup?" Nobody spoke. "Hello?"

Then a small voice answered, "Virgil?"

"Yeah?"

"Hello. This is Precious."

"Hey! You're talking! Is this your first phone call?"

"No, it is the ninth."

"Well, I am honored to get your ninth phone call. May I ask why you have given me such a pleasure?"

"Precious is coming with Mommy to see Richie for Christmas."

"Cool."

"Will Virgil be there?"

"Yes he will, I mean, yes I will."

"Can Virgil still do magic?"

"Yeah, I can. Richie and I are going to do our best to teach you a little"

"Ok. Precious will still be Virgil's friend, even if Virgil cannot teach Precious magic."

"I think I need to teach you pronouns first." A pause. "That's a joke."

"Oh. Ha ha!"

Virgil knew she didn't get it, so he changed the subject. "Listen, you know what a secret is, right?"

"S-E-C-R-E-T, knowledge withheld from others."

"Uh . . . yeah. Well, this whole thing with Richie and me teaching you, it's a big secret. You can't tell anyone, not even your moms."

"Why?"

"Ummm . . . we'll explain later."

"Ok. Well, Precious cannot wait."

"It'll be here soon. Alright, bye!"

"Bye-bye!"

Virgil handed the phone back to Richie. "Well, that was nice. Hey Richie, do you think the hat's doing much good?"

"Oh yeah, her progress is astounding. You don't need to worry about the third person thing. A lot of autistic children, if they learn to speak at all, go through a phase early in their verbal development where they only speak in third person. It doesn't last very long."

"It just surprises me. I mean, she's so well read for her age. Why doesn't she use the words that she learned through reading?"

"I think at this point, even though she's familiar with the words, the meaning doesn't really come through. Let me put it this way. Precious has become very comfortable with her name. She knows who 'Precious' is. She does not know who 'I' is. 'I' is a stranger to her, and she does not like strangers. It's just a theory anyway. The whole thing is one of those autism mysteries that nobody really understands."

"I see. Do you think she may not readily accept a superhero identity because of that?"

"Hmmm. Haven't thought about that. She may not understand why we have secret identities. That's just one thing we'll have to teach her. Hey, maybe I could get her interested in comic books. She likes reading, and she likes cartoons. I'm sure she'll love comic books."

"Maybe. Or we could just tell her we're pretending. She's sure to understand that."

"I don't know. Some researchers say that seriously autistic children don't pretend play."

"Well, it's worth a shot."

"So, you think you're ready for this?"

"Yeah, I've thought about it a few times." Just then, Backpack went off with a police bulletin. "Guess that's our cue." They got on the case right away. Neither one of them would admit that they hadn't planned anything at all.

* * *

"Richie! How are you? I missed you!" Claire Llewellyn gave her nephew a hug, then noticed the guest with him. "Virgil! This is nice! I see you still have your hairstyle. Good."

"Of course, I wouldn't want to disappoint you, Mrs. L."

"Come in. Sean made hamburgers, and then they got burned so we ordered from Burger Fool," Aunt Claire snickered.

"Claire!" Mr. Foley yelled from the kitchen.

"Just kidding!" she yelled back. Then she turned back and playfully whispered, "You won't be able to tell the difference."

Burger Fool or not, the hamburgers were really tasty. Still, there was a lot of talk going on, mostly about Precious.

"Oh, your invention is working wonders, Richie. Her language skills are really growing every day. It's like she's learning new words all the time. She still doesn't talk much unless she really has something she wants to say. She very seldom speaks unless someone speaks to her."

"Well what do you think of the quality of her speech?" Virgil asked. "Why is she avoiding contractions and pronouns?"

"Dr. Temple told me to expect it. She's more apt to use those shortcuts when she's writing. Her handwriting's almost illegible, though. So I think she's best when she's typing. I almost want to get her a palm pilot or something like that so she can carry it around, but she's so clumsy she'll probably drop it."

"I can try to make you such a device and encase it in rubber," Richie offered.

"That would be nice. Oh, and she likes organizing sentences with those flat word magnets, you know? She does that all the time on our fridge. I gotta tell you guys, she's obsessed with Static. First thing when we got home, she colored a picture of him. I helped her download some pictures of him off the Internet, and we hung them up all around her room, on her door, on the ceiling right above her bed. She told me that she feels safe with them there."

"Does she have any pictures of Gear?" Richie sounded worried.

"You know, it's the oddest thing. We only have one picture of Gear, and he's in the background almost. But I'll tell you this. She searched on her own in all of her photo albums for pictures of you, and she put them all over her bedside table. I guess there is somewhat a resemblance that she would mistake the two."

"Does she have any idea who Static and Gear really are?" Virgil asked.

"She doesn't talk about it. I don't think it matters, because to her they are her first friends. And so are you two of course. It's something else. This is the first time ever that she reacted to anyone like this, including me. But it means so much to her."

Mr. Foley promptly changed the subject. Virgil and Richie finished eating as quickly as they could so that they could talk to the girl. Dark piano music filtered out the door of Mr. and Mrs. Foley's room, where she was staying. Virgil peered in. Precious Swan sat on the bed flipping through a photo album.

"I know what's going on here," Virgil said as he withdrew. "I've seen that look before, on my own face. She misses her pops."

"No kidding?"

"Yeah. Why not?"

"Her 'pops' is a sleezeball. He gave up on her, when she needed him most. Look what he did to Aunt Claire."

"Yeah, but she still loves him, man. She doesn't understand. I know it feels bad when a parent is gone forever, but I bet it even feels worse when you know that parent is still out there somewhere and is never coming back."

"He's not worth it, bro. I was thirteen when it happened, old enough to understand everything and to be angry. It may be the only thing Dad and I ever agreed on."

"Well, this is different. She's just a kid, and he's her pops. We should leave her alone for awhile."

Yet as he was speaking, the door opened wider, and an enthusiastic voice cried, "Virgil!"

"What up, girl!" he said giving her a hug.

"You ready to go, Precious?" Richie asked.

"Yes," she nodded.

"OK, I'll get things ready."

He walked on, but Virgil stayed as Precious turned off the CD and put away the photo album. "Precious, are you doing ok? Is there something you want to talk about?"

"No," she said softly.

"You sure? Well, if you ever do want to talk, you can talk to me."

"No," she repeated.

"'Cause I've been down that road before. It's OK."

Precious didn't answer. She walked right by him and gathered some clothes. She went out to her mother who was in the den. "Mommy, can Precious play with Richie and Virgil please?"

"Honey, look at me," Aunt Claire replied, pointed at her eyes.

Precious looked up at her mother and repeated the question in the same tone of voice, as though she were asking for the first time.

"Yes you may, dear." Aunt Claire then looked at Richie. "Take good care of her boys, and if you can, could you let her say hi to Static? He probably won't remember her, but it will mean so much."

"Oh no problem," Richie answered. "She's going to see Static alright."

* * *

A nondescript black Mercedes cruised around the interstate just outside of Dakota. It had the bass turned up so that it made other cars shake. Few recognized the song as "The Sopranos" theme.

The little car finally drove up to an overlook and shut down. Five men in business suits walked out. A huge man with shoulder-length, wavy blond hair got out of the driver's seat and pondered the site for a moment, tilting down his shades. "There it is boys," he said in a deep, commanding voice. "Dakota."

"North or South?" one henchmen said in a nasal voice.

"I don't know, Central," another answered with a shrug.

"Shut up," the leader said. "We're going to go down there for some early Christmas cheer, kapish?"

"What?" the right hand man exclaimed.

"You heard me."

"But Big T, this is Dakota. They got four superheroes here: Rubberband Man, Shebang, Gear, and Static. And Static is one of the most formidable superheroes in the U.S. of A."

"And your point is?"

"My point is we're sure to get caught, by a superhero no less! And I've heard that Static's power's aren't pleasant."

"We won't get caught."

"It would be very hard, if not impossible."

Big T laughed a big throaty laugh. "You think that's hard? Oh no, there are things a heck of a lot harder. Get back into the car and plan a strategy. I gotta think."

The others got back in the car. Big T reached into his pocket for a cigarette but instead pulled out a wallet. A picture fell out of the wallet, and Big T picked it up. It was a picture of a happy family--a mother who looked much like Sheryl Crow leaning on the father's shoulder, and the father holding the hand of a small girl with curly brown hair and green eyes that were not looking at the camera.

"Thought I threw all of these away," he thought aloud. "Well, I'll take care of this one."

He pulled out a cigarette lighter and set the picture on fire. He quickly dropped the picture on the ground, got in the car, and drove away.

* * *

"This gas station is our headquarters," Richie explained to Precious. "It's where we go to hide before we go out to do magic."

"Oooh," the young cousin said. "Can Precious please go get a candy bar?"

Richie laughed. "It's broken down and closed, Precious. There aren't any candy bars."

"I can get you one later if you really want one," Virgil offered.

"Ok, thank you," Precious nodded.

They took her in. "Alright, the first thing she needs is a costume. Virg, I believe I gave you that delegation."

"That's right. I think I got it back here." Virgil went to the back room. Meanwhile, Precious pulled out a bunch of clothes and held them out to Richie. They were the same colorful clothes she wore when the Metabreed kidnapped her.

"No, honey, we can't use those," Richie said.

"Why? Precious likes these clothes."

"I know, but your mom bought them for you. She'll recognize them. We can't let that happen."

Precious looked at him confused.

"We're going to talk about that later."

"Here it is!" Virgil said. "I'd forgotten that Sharon starred in 'Cinderella' when she was about your age. 'Course, I altered it a little bit. Try it on." He handed her a white dress bedecked with sequins. Precious went into the other room. Once she called for help, and Richie went back. Just a few minutes later, she came back out.

"Oh man, you look like an anime princess!" Virgil said.

"Yeah, you couldn't have done better, V," Richie nodded. "What do you think, Precious?"

"There is no color," she said in a disappointed voice.

"That's where you're wrong. Check this out!" Virgil made a huge ball of light above her, and the sequins bent the light. "See, you're surrounded by rainbows!"

"Oh," Precious said in awe. "Precious likes it!"

"How does it feel?" Richie said. "Is it uncomfortable?"

Precious shook her head.

"Good thinking Rich," Virgil nodded. "The last thing a superhero needs is an itchy costume."

"Superheroes also need something to change into quickly."

"Oh, yeah. We'll work on that."

"And what's a princess without a crown?" Richie said. He got that dust covered shoebox underneath a counter and opened it. "Presenting Magic Hat 2!" He held up the hat. It looked much like his prototype, an upside-down bowl. Only this one was clear, and it had inside one circular glowing tube of color.

"Is that a neon necklace?"

"Yeah. Check it." Richie fiddled with a small knob, and the tube changed colors rapidly. Precious marveled. Richie put it upon her head. There was no way to tell that she was wearing a hat at all, but it looked like she had a halo just above her head.

"Smooth, bro."

"Thanks. Now, all we need is something to conceal her identity. So did you make a mask?"

"Uh . . . actually . . . "

"Virg, that's the most important part of the costume!"

"Well, I was thinking the shades worked so well last time . . . "

"Uh," Precious spoke up. "What is conceal? What is identity?"

"Here we go," Virgil sighed.

"Well, um, 'conceal' means to hide," Richie tried to explain, "and 'identity' is, uh, you."

"Hide and seek? Ok." Precious turned to hide, but Richie grabbed her arm and stopped her.

"No, sweetie. 'Identity' is more like what makes you, you. In this case, it's what you look like. See, we need a disguise. You know what a disguise is, right?"

"D-I-S-G-U-I-S-E, a set of clothes or accessories worn to hide one's likeness."

"Uh, yeah. Well, that's what we need for you. We need something to keep people from telling who you are."

Precious looked shocked and confused. "Why?"

"Oh, that's easy. Because . . . well . . . all heroes need secret identities. That's just the way things work?"

"Why? The Powerpuff Girls do not have to hide. Samurai Jack does not have to hide."

Virgil spoke for Richie, since he was plainly running out of ideas. "Well, the Powerpuff Girls are a special case, and Samurai Jack can take care of himself, what with his swordsmanship. You're not that lucky, Precious. The reason superheroes have secret identities is so that the bad people won't find them. If you let everyone know who you are, some bad guy might find you at your house and kidnap you or exploit you."

"What is exploit?"

"It means using your powers for their own ends. You see?"

Precious didn't look like she did.

Richie stepped back in again. "Precious, you're young, and you can get hurt easily. We just don't want you to get hurt. Ok?"

"Ok." She still looked very confused.

"Think of it this way," Virgil said. "When we get out there and we're doing magic, we're pretending. You know what pretending is, do you?"

"P-R-E-T-E-N-D-I-N-G, giving a false appearance or action intended to deceive."

Virgil lifted an eyebrow and grinned. "Open your mouth. I wanna see if you swallowed a dictionary."

Richie laughed. Precious opened her mouth as wide as she could.

"No, close your mouth. I was just kidding."

"Oh."

"It's not quite as malicious as it sounds. We're just playing make believe, pretending to be something we're not normally. It's sort of like a game. You like games, don't you?"

Precious nodded. "Precious likes Tag, and Candyland, and Clue, and Chutes and Ladders, and--"

"That's good. Maybe we'll play some of those sometime. Anyway, this is like a game, and we want you to play. But here are the rules. When I am in this uniform, do not call me Virgil anymore. I'm Static."

"Yeah," Richie nodded. "And where I wear this helmet, I'm not Richie. I'm Gear. You got it?"

"Static. Gear," Precious said while pointing to each of them respectively.

"Good. Now, we just want need something like that for you, and we need to start by making something to hide your likeness."

"Oh."

Richie turned back to Virgil. "So, back to where we were. I don't think the shades will work. Again, Aunt Claire will recognize them. And I don't think it'll do such a good job of covering her eyes. Just make another mask. It shouldn't be hard."

"Yeah, but the mask as been done and . . . hey, where'd she go?"

"Oh no! She hasn't wandered off again, has she?"

"She must have, bro. I don't see her anywhere. And who is this lovely young lady who took her place?"

It was true. Standing where Precious once stood was a girl in the same dress with the same hat, only with longer, auburn hair. "Precious is right here," she said softly.

"Yeah, we know," Richie smiled. "You sure know how to use that holographic interface. Good job! Hey V, look at this. Even her eye color changed."

Virgil knelt down and saw that her eyes had indeed turned from green to gold. "Yeah, even your moms wouldn't recognize you. You sure catch on quick," Virgil said.

Precious smiled and nodded.

"Now, this the fun part. We need a cool superhero name for you."

"I got one!" Richie said. "How about Rain Girl?"

"Rain Girl?"

"It's a tribute to 'Rain Man!' Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise, it's a good movie! It's what first taught me about . . . "

"I don't know. People might think her powers have to do with water and will get her confused with Aquamaria or . . . Storm."

"Oh, good point."

"Hey, she likes magic so much. How about Witch?"

"That will definitely set a bad precedent."

"Oh. Then maybe Sorceress? Or maybe since she's under our wings, Apprentice Sorceress?"

"That's kinda a mouthful, don't you think?"

"We can call her A.S. for short!"

"I don't think so. Let's see, who was girl from Harry Potter 5?"

"Luna Lovegood?"

"Yeah, why not Luna? That kinda rolls off the tongue."

"I think that's already taken by someone in Japan."

"Oh. Well . . . how about--"

"Muse."

The boys both looked at Precious. "What was that?" Virgil asked.

"Muse," she repeated.

Virgil started shaking his finger enthusiastically. "That is good. That is real good. That's better than good, that's it! That's the name, right there! The Muse! I love it! It's perfect!"

"I don't get it," Richie said shaking his head.

"Don't you remember reading 'The Odyssey' in advanced English? It started with an invocation of the muse, like all epic poems do. Muses were goddesses of inspiration, of creativity. They could make people think things. Whatever they sang was set in stone. People thought their songs could actually make things happen!"

"You pay attention in English?"

"Hey, my ultimate namesake was one of those epic writers. I'm expected to keep up with these things."

"Ok, well how'd she know about that?"

"I don't know. I wouldn't doubt that she read an epic or two, she being so advanced in her reading."

Precious responded by handing Virgil a book.

"Hmmm, 'Song of the Muse' by Owen Summers," Virgil read on the cover. He turned it over. "'In a world built on imagination, complacency and nightmares are beginning to take over. It is up to the inhabitants of the dream world, the muses, to stop the darkness from spreading and save the world from losing their will to dream forever.' Cool. So, you're saying that you want to pretend to be one of those people?"

Precious nodded.

"That is awesome. As a superhero, that's what you do! You're really starting to get the hang of this."

"Wait," Richie interjected. "If that's the case, wouldn't it be copyright infringement?"

"No, because muse's have roots back in classical literature, which is always in public domain."

"Oh. Well, if Precious likes it, than Muse it is. Now, the next item of business is transportation. Static and I both fly, and there's no way she's going to keep up with us if she doesn't fly."

"Muses were goddesses, and gods and goddesses were notorious for appearing out of nowhere. Maybe you could put in the Magic Hat a transporter of some sort."

"V, molecular transportation is number one on my list of things that I want to discover but even with my genius it would take a while. You think maybe you could rig up something with her powers?"

As they continued to argue, Precious closed her eyes. "Magic," she whispered. Suddenly, two large, colorful butterfly wings appeared out of her back.

"That'll work," Virgil remarked.

"I don't know. They are just holograms. There's no guarantee they would actually catch wind, or that she could control them."

"Only one way to find out, bro."

So they stepped outside. "Alright, Muse, show us what you got!" Virgil and Richie continued to encourage her. She concentrated and was able to make them move and flap. Slowly, her feet rose off the ground. The boys applauded. Three minutes, and she didn't move from her spot.

"She needs to be caught in a draft," Richie observed. Just about when he said this, a gust of wind blew in. It hit her wings back, and she flew into a wall. "Yeah, they're just too flimsy. They weren't meant to hold an eight-year-old. What she needs is a pair of wings along her arms, like Talon's. You remember that bird girl, don't you Precious? Good, try that."

Large, golden feathers grew along her arms. She flapped them and got high in the air. Yet when she got too high, she yelped in pain. The wings disappeared. Virgil caught Precious in midair. The girl started rubbing her upper arm. "You got a cramp in your arm?" he asked her.

Precious nodded.

"Hey, I got an idea." He whispered something to her, and she nodded. He put her down. Precious concentrated really hard and two large, white, feathered wings appeared for her.

"Really completes the illusion, don't you think?" Virgil said aloud. "What are you waiting for girl? Try them out!"

Precious looked up to the sky. The wings slowly began to move and made a lovely "Swoosh, swoosh!" sound. She climbed high above the ground, above the clouds. Virgil and Richie flew up to her. Precious' face was filled with wonder and joy.

"Girl, look at you!" Virgil said.

"You're flying, all by yourself!" Richie said. "Good for you! I'm so proud of you!"

"Yeah, I bet your pops would be kicking himself if he knew what he was missing!"

* * *

On the other side of town, a nondescript black Mercedes pulled in the back of a bank parking lot. "You all know what to do," Big T whispered to his gang. They nodded and broke up.

Big T went into the bank and toward the first counter he saw open. "May I help you sir?" a young woman asked politely.

"Good afternoon, ma'am," Big T answered. "How are you?"

"Well, sir."

"Is your Christmas going well?"

The woman looked mildly offended. "Sir, I'm Jewish."

"Oh, my apologies. I have every respect for your people, ever since Adam Sandler released that song of his. All of those celebrities, who would have thought? So, how are your eight crazy nights?"

"Very well, sir. Now, can I help you?"

"Oh, yes actually. I just came to make a little withdrawal."

He slipped a slip of paper to her. She nodded and put in his information. "Sir, I'm sorry. You're not in this computer. Are you sure you're with this branch?"

"Oh, what do you mean? Do I not have an account here?"

"It doesn't appear so, sir," the lady replied showing her the computer screen.

"Well then, you're just going to have to get it out of someone else's."

"Sir, you know I can't do that," the lady said as she continued to type into the computer. When she looked back at him, he had a gun pointed at her head, as did five other men.

"Well, I know you can't legally, but I'm afraid I'm not leaving you with much of a choice. How's this for a crazy day?"

* * *

"Now, this what we do," Gear explained. "We try to find people who've done wrong who need to be punished. We just try to stop them until the cops come. So here's what we want you to do. When we go off to fight someone, you just try to help, especially if we're in trouble. Use anything that comes to mind, but don't hurt them too seriously, and don't harm the innocent. Got it?"

The Muse nodded.

Gear motioned to Static. "I was thinking, this is her first go around. Let's start her off with something quick and easy. In other words, no metahumans."

"You sure? I don't think non-metahuman crimes occur much in Dakota anymore, thanks to us."

Just then, Backpack went off. "Well, that sounds like one right there. Let's go."

"Ready Muse?"

"Yes Static."

"Alright. Let's do this thing!"

The three of them took to the sky. The Muse flew behind them, as though she was having trouble keeping up. Gear constantly checked behind his shoulder as Static listened to the police radio.

"OK, we got a bank robbery by a wanted gang headed by a guy who calls himself Big T. Oh man, they're armed. Gear, are you sure this is a good idea?"

Gear didn't sound like he was listening. "Big T? No, it's gotta be a coincidence."

"Gear, I'm talking to you!"

"Oh, uh, we'll do our best to protect her."

"We better just hope that our best is good enough. Look, there they are, trying to make their getaway. Let's--"

"OH GOOD NIGHT!"

"What's wrong, Gear?"

Richie pointed to the gang. "You see that big guy in the front? That's Uncle Rex. He always called himself Big T, you know, identifying with the dinosaur."

"I see." Virgil put his hand on his best friend's shoulder. "Well, if you don't want to fight him, I'll understand. I won't hold it against you. Just leave him to me."

Richie looked up at him and glared. "Are you kidding?" he asked through gritted teeth. Then he pushed Virgil out of the way. It was by then that the Muse caught up.

"Come on," Static said grabbing her hand. "We'll get the others." Static started by sending a large bolt of electricity toward their getaway car. That made the steel part of the car magnetized to the pavement and caused the car to cave in over its tires. "Gives a new meaning to 'when the rubber meets the road,' doesn't it?" Static quipped.

The gang members responded by firing their guns. The Muse cringed, and the bullets suddenly turned into flowers, and the guns disappeared.

"I don't blame you. I don't like guns either," Static muttered.

"They are too loud," the Muse answered.

"What is that, an angel?" the gang members were asking each other. "If it is, we're in trouble."

They charged toward the two heroes. Static got most of the gang members with his static cling. The Muse created a barrier to keep them from coming too close and kept them occupied with some erratic holograms.

Meanwhile, Gear had called Big T out and was fighting him tooth and nail. "Robbing the bank was pretty bad, but I know something you did that was a hundred times worse! You're paying for both crimes!"

"Awe man, he knows about the Chicago job!" the right hand man said.

"Shut up!" Big T yelled. "I'm going to make it a little harder for you." He grabbed Backpack and started wresting with it until he had it subdued. It seemed every other high tech trick Gear had, Big T had a way to fight it. Finally, they were only fighting mano a mano, and Big T was winning that by a long shot.

Static wasn't sure if the Muse was related to Big T or not, but he was doing his best to keep her away from him. Yet when their battle was starting to wind down, she turned around and saw him for the first time. She abandoned her fight entirely and started walking toward Big T as if in a trance. She stood and stared at the gang leader.

"Daddy," she whispered.

Big T heard her speak, but he wasn't sure what she said. He turned around and saw her. "What do we have here? An angel, huh? There's no need to talk to me. I know what the crowd up at your place thinks about me. I just don't care."

"Well, that's just about got it," Static said. "Way to go, Muse. Muse? Muse, where did you--oh no." He had just turned around and saw her so transfixed in front of Big T. It didn't take him long to add two and two.

The Muse closed her eyes, and her wings slowly disappeared. Big T smirked. "Lost your wings, huh? Coming to me made you a fallen angel, didn't it? Well don't worry." He pointed a gun at her. "I can ring a few bells to get them back for you."

Muse was shaking like a leaf. Her disguise began to fade.

"NO!" Gear got up off the ground and pushed the Muse out of the way. "Don't you remember what we told you? You can't reveal your identity to anyone!"

"But that's Da--"

"NOT ANYONE!"

"But--"

"Muse, please understand. I'm doing this for your good."

"NO! PRECIOUS WANTS DADDY! PRECIOUS WANTS DADDY! OUT OF THE WAY!"

She started crying, kicking, and screaming. Crazy holograms of chaotic shapes burst out from her and forced Gear back. The Muse started running toward Big T, but then an electric jolt stopped her.

Static stepped in front of her. "Listen, you can't be a superhero if you don't learn how to control yourself. No, don't move. We got to talk." He lowered his voice. "Look, I know that's your pops, and I feel terrible that this happened. But you gotta understand. He did something wrong. He took something that didn't belong to him without asking. It's something very valuable called money. I know you don't understand what that is, but people need it. We gotta punish him. He broke the law, and we have to send him to jail. You never know. He might learn his lesson and will straighten up and fly right. He might even come home and be a good father again. But we gotta do this. Here, if it hurts you too much, you can just leave him to me."

"NO! LET THE MUSE GO! THE MUSE CAN DO THIS!"

She freed herself from the static cling. Big T, meanwhile, was not sure at all what was going on. He started trying to make a getaway. The Muse flew in front of him again.

"Can't get enough of me, huh?" he smirked

The Muse, still crying, stretched her arms out in front of her. She stared into her father's eyes. "Magic," she whispered. She threw her arms out again, and the darkness came.

It surrounded everything in a matter of seconds. The darkness was so thick, no light could penetrate it. The Muse's halo winked out. Static tried to create a source of light with his powers. He could feel the tingle of his powers in his fingertips, but no light came from it. It wasn't long though, that Static realized that the darkness of the darkness was the least of his worries. For the darkness was heavy with strong feelings of despair, loneliness, and anger. Virgil could hear voices echoing throughout the darkness.

"Look. How many times do I have to go through this with you? I'm late because I'm late, OK? For once, I just want to come home without getting the third degree."

"How do you think I feel?"

"Oh, please. Here we go again . . . Well, what do you want me to do about it?"

"For once, be a father!"

"You think I don't even try, do you? How can I be a father to _that_?"

"What? How dare you call your daughter--"

"She's a freak! There's nothing I can do for her! She's broken! I can't fix her . . . I'm getting outta here. You misnamed her. She's not Precious; she's junk!"

Then Virgil heard other voices, voices he knew, conversations her remembered, booming all around him.

Frieda: Can you believe what happened in New York?

Daisy: We've been attacked! What's going to happen to us? All those people . . .

Virgil: Why wasn't I there? I could have done something . . .

Richie: Well you got what you wanted, Dad! I just lost my best friend thanks to your stupid racism! I HATE YOU!

Pops: Virgil, there's something I need to tell you. Moms is . . . gone.

Virgil: You're not saying she's--

Pops: I'm sorry son.

Virgil: NO!

Sharon: I miss her too, but she's in Heaven now.

Virgil: BUT I WANT HER HERE!

About this time, the darkness began to roll out. Virgil felt a tear going down his cheek, but it was nothing like what the Muse and Big T were going through. The poor girl was sobbing uncontrollably, and the man was on his knees motionless with his head bowed. He looked numb to the whole world.

"What have we done, man?" Static asked Gear.

"We've created a monster," Gear muttered back.

"I'd say the monster created her."

Gear nodded. Static walked up to the mob boss and did static cling. "Just in case he tries to get away. Something tells me he won't be moving for a while anyway."

"Let's go home," Gear whispered to the Muse.

But she pushed him away and started walking toward Big T. Gear tried to hold her back, but she persisted. She knelt down and whispered, "Don't try to fix me. I'M not broken." Then she got up and returned to Gear. So the three of them flew away.

* * *

Precious ran into her mother's arms, crying. "Oh my goodness, what is it?" Aunt Claire said.

"Sorry, Mrs. L.," Virgil answered. "We saw something on the way home that kinda shook her up."

"What could that be?"

"You haven't heard?" Richie replied.

"I've been talking to Maggie all afternoon. Has something happened?"

"Turn on the TV. There's something you need to see."

Richie's mom turned on the TV, and Shelly Sandoval was on a live shot. "A bank robbery has just been averted thanks to Static Shock, Gear, and another mysterious force. At roughly 4:00 today, Dakota's favorite superheroes captured a notorious gang of thieves wanted in seven states. This gang works as an unofficial Mafia. They are led by Rex Llewellyn, who calls himself Big T."

"Oh no! Rex! What have you done with yourself?" Aunt Claire began to cry as well. She made other comments, but they were intelligible as she wailed. Richie's mom also began to cry. Somehow, though, Virgil managed to hear the rest of the report.

"Yet no one completely understands how Big T was captured. An angel like creature appeared before him and surrounded the area with darkness for about three minutes. Eyewitnesses say this was no ordinary darkness for it was thick with a feeling of depression."

A civilian: "I haven't felt that down since the September 11 attacks, and I couldn't explain it."

Another civilian: "I couldn't help but think of dementors, from the Harry Potter books you know? They suck the happiness out of you and make you feel like you'll never be happy again."

"Fortunately, most people recovered from the attack, but everyone is bewildered by the effect. Llewellyn meanwhile is shell-shocked and refuses to talk to authorities. Unfortunately, all we have available of the event are a few frames from the outdoor security camera. You can see here that Static and Gear interacting with the angel, but it is unclear if they are merely speaking to her or trying to restrain her, as though they know what will come. Many are unsure if this is a new bang baby superhero or something more."

Curbside Prophet: "God sent His angel from Heaven to reveal to this poor, lost soul His deep sorrow that he has strayed from the straight and narrow. He encourages all of us to repent and turn back to Him."

"Whoever this new force is, she has not stayed for comment and neither have Static or Gear. Llewellyn is in Dakota State Prison where he awaits to be transferred to--"

Virgil turned around and noticed that Richie and Precious were gone. Virgil found Richie in his room, lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

"You ok, Rich?"

"I don't know. I'm thinking."

"I see. Man, I didn't realize how deeply the Muse's attack had affected people. I know it hit me really hard, but I've been through a huge tragedy."

"I'm not surprised, really."

"What do you mean?"

"This is what I think she did. She exposed a huge wound in her heart. It's human nature to respond to that kind of pain with your own sorrow. Remember September 11? Neither one of us knew anyone in New York, but we felt terrible. It never seemed to go away."

"You got a point. Don't you think it was too strong?"

"I don't know. In my opinion though, at least for me, it was a good thing."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It showed me more about Precious. See, some psychologists believe that autistic people are incapable of processing emotions. I always thought that Precious would never been anything more than a robot. Now I see that's not true with her. She does feel emotions, very deeply. And I feel horrible for holding so much hate for Uncle Rex for so long."

"By the way, did you hear what she said to him? She used first person pronouns."

"That means nothing really. She was just quoting a line from a song or a book or something."

"Yeah, but still. She was using it in a way to make it fit the situation. I thought that was interesting."

Richie sat up. "Come on, Virg. We need to talk to her."

"Yeah, I guess we do."

Precious was sitting beside a computer, her head buried in her arms as she continued to cry.

"Hey Precious," Virgil said. "Can we talk to you a little bit?"

She looked up and nodded as she turned the music down.

The three were silent for a while, and the two boys only stuttered a little bit as they struggled for the words to say. "We are so sorry you had to go through that the first time," Richie finally managed to say.

"Yeah, we know how deep the pain goes," Virgil added. "I mean, you showed us all."

"Precious did not mean to," the girl answered. "Precious just wants Daddy back, but Daddy will not come back!"

She cried harder. Virgil hugged her. "Girl, I'm feeling ya. I can't tell you how much I'm feeling ya."

She looked up at him. "Daddy will not change. Precious could feel him fighting back. Daddy felt angry and mean."

"There's still might be hope for him yet. It's happened before."

"I'm sure you came through and made something crack," Richie said. "I don't think he'll be the same. I know it's been a lot for you, and I think we both would understand if you don't want to do this anymore."

Virgil looked up at him in shock. Richie shrugged. But Precious looked at Richie, wiped her tears, and said, "I have to."

The guys were too shocked to say anything. She pulled out of her pocket the same book she had shown Virgil earlier. She turned to a page near the end and pointed to a paragraph. Virgil nodded and read it aloud:

"'"I understand how you feel," replied King Oberon. "My wife was taken by the nightmares into Incubus. I grieve for her every day. Yet I cannot allow my grief to hinder my fight. Think of all the children who will never dream again if we are idle. I cannot, I will not, allow any other muses in my kingdom to suffer Titania's fate."'"

"I cannot stop just because Precious feels sad," Precious explained. "The nightmare still lives, and I have to help stop it. I am the Muse."

Richie gave her a hug. "Oh Precious, I'm so proud of you. You really understand what this is all about. And listen, I don't want you to ever believe what your father said. You are Precious. You are unbelievably precious."

"Yeah," Virgil nodded. "I know your Father thinks so."

"But Daddy--" Precious began to say.

"I'm talking about your real Father . . . uh, Big Pops."

Precious smiled a little. "God?"

"Yeah. You'll always be Precious to Him."

"Oh yes, that's right."

"You know, a lot of people thought you were an angel out there."

Precious smiled even bigger.

"They might be a little intimidated by you after that attack," Richie noted.

Virgil gestured to Precious. "And 'intimidated' is--"

"I-N-T-I-M-I-D-A-T-E-D, filled with fear, timid."

"She is good. I'm going to call you next time I have an English paper."

"Yeah," Richie nodded. "Anyway, I think you're going to be great. We'll give you a little time to cope with this situation. Just let us know when you're ready."

* * *

It took a couple of days. Aunt Claire went to visit Big T in prison. Richie did not go into detail about how that went, but Virgil was under the impression that it did not go well. Somehow, he wasn't surprised that Precious was ready to get back to work the next day.

Static and Gear took the Muse on patrol with them. It was uneventful until Hotstreak jumped in front of them. "Hey Flyboys, catch this!" He threw a fireball toward them, but they dodged it.

"It's all you, Muse!" Gear said.

The Muse came closer. "Oh good," Hotstreak said with a grin. "I always wondered what fried angel wings taste like." He threw another ball toward her, but she blew a small puff of air. The fire went out like a candle.

"Did you make a wish?" Static snickered.

The Muse nodded.

Hotstreak looked unnerved, but he smirked, "No problem. More where that came from." Yet when he tried to make another one, all that came out of his fingers was smoke. "Hey. You put me out!"

"Good wish," Static nodded. He used his static cling to freeze Hotstreak to the wall.

"You know, some things don't blow away so easily," a voice said behind them. The heroes turned around to see Puff. She blew a cloud of acidic gas toward the Muse, but the Muse closed her eyes and waved her hand. The cloud became more solid. The Muse caught it with her hand and began to eat it.

"Thank you," she said meekly.

"What the heck?" Puff said.

Gear took a taste. "Wow Puff. You never told us you had a cotton candy attack."

"Man, I'm off my game. Hang on, let me try a practice." She breathed toward a fire hydrant, and it spewed water at her. "Why do I keep doing that?" she thought aloud before it doused her.

About that time, the paparazzi showed up and bombarded the three superheroes. The Muse seemed rather nervous around such a crowd and hid behind Gear. Then Shelly Sandoval came forward. "Hello there," she said gently. "Would you like to be on TV?"

The Muse smiled and nodded. "Ok," she said softly.

"Yeah, she could," Static said, "but do you mind if we do most of the talking? She's a little shy."

"Oh, do you know her well?" the reporter asked.

"We're . . . relatively close," Gear replied.

"We're on in ten!" the cameraman announced.

"OK, good." The reporter stood in place until the cameraman pointed to her. "Well, it seems Dakota has realized its fifth superhero. The mysterious angel from a few days ago has joined Static and Gear on their afternoon patrol. So, what's your name?" Shelly pointed the microphone to the new superhero.

"It's, uh, Muse," she replied.

"Oh, so it's amusing? What is it?"

"No," Static replied laughing. "She's the Muse, you know like from classical mythology."

"How clever. Now, do you plan to stay partners with Static and Gear?"

"Actually," Gear answered, "she's not from Dakota, so she's a come and go hero."

"Oh really? Then she's not a Bang Baby?"

"Nope. She's special on her own."

"Can you comment on the attack she made on Llewellyn the other day?"

"Oh, she had a history with him, and she was just shocked and upset that he had chosen a life of crime. She couldn't keep her attack from reflecting how she felt about the meeting. She really did not mean for it to be so strong. I wouldn't expect such an attack from her anytime soon."

"I see. Then what are her powers?"

"We're not completely sure ourselves," Static answered. "We know it's something mental. It's one of those things that once you have it figured out, she keeps surprising and amazing you."

Gear hastily added, "She's unlike any superhero you've ever seen before and with any luck unlike any superhero you'll ever see again."

"What makes her so special?"

"Because she's--"

Static quickly broke in, "I think that remains to be seen."

"You heard it here first. I'm sure we'll have much to see from the Muse in the days to come. I'm Shelly Sandoval, back to you." She turned back to the superheroes. "Thank you very much."

As the news crew left, Gear motioned to Static to talk privately. "Why didn't you let me tell her?"

"Well I was thinking, it's probably best to leave that a secret."

"But the people out there, they gotta know so they're understanding what they see!"

"Do they have to? I mean, look at Superman. Once everyone in the world knew he's vulnerable to Kryptonite, every supervillain had to get a piece of it. But in this case, if we're careful maybe the Muse's greatest weakness could also be her greatest strength. None of the other metahumans know about her disability. Maybe her behavior will confuse and intimidate them."

"Oh, I see what you're getting at. OK, we'll try it. But if they get too rough, we're telling."

"And another thing. Even if we were just telling the good people out there about it, they'd just feel pity for her, and SHE DON'T NEED NO PITY!"

"Good point. And I guess the more we keep this under wraps, the less likely Aunt Claire will discover it."

"Now you're getting it."

"Yeah. Well, let's go."

* * *

Christmas was just a few days later. Precious got a lot of good presents. She held a hand knit sweater up to her chin. "Thank you, Uncle Sean. Thank you, Aunt Maggie."

"And this is from me," Richie said handing her a gift. Precious tore the package open to find a box full of comics.

"Oooh, these books are new. They're colorful"

"They're comic books. And guess what? When you go home, I'm going to mail you more."

"Oh, good."

"Are you sure about that, son?" Mr. Foley asked. "Some of those are still in decent condition. If you held on them a little longer, they'll get you a lot of money one day."

"That's not important to me, Dad," Richie answered. "I think it's more important to share something with my cousin that I like. You know, so we might have something to talk about. Besides, since she likes Static and Gear a lot, she needs to understand more what they do."

"Okay."

After everything was through, Precious went up to her room to play with a new doll. Just as she got settled, there was a knock at the window. Static was waiting outside. "Ho ho ho!" he said in a Santa Claus voice. "Can you let me in here, little girl? The chimney's a little narrow."

Precious giggled as she opened the window.

"Aha!" Static said in his normal voice as he came in. "You laughed! I knew you had a sense of humor in you." Richie came in the room too and joined them. Static handed Precious a small gift. "This is from Gear and me."

Precious opened it. It was a walkie-talkie like device with purple and gold stripes. "What is it?"

"It's the one part of your costume we forgot," Richie explained. "It's called a Shock Box. Static and I use it to communicate. Also if we ever get separated, we can use the signal coming from your Shock Box to track you."

"It works long distances too," Static explained. "One time I called Richie from my Shock Box when I was all the way in Africa."

"Static went to Africa?" Precious exclaimed. "What was that like?"

"It was cool! I gotta tell you about that sometime."

"So when you go home, if you ever feel like you need to talk to us, feel free," Richie said. "Just make sure you keep it a secret."

"OK," Precious nodded.

"So when will she be in town again?" Static asked Richie. "Easter?"

"Actually, I think for Easter I'm going to her place. Maybe you could come with?"

"No, it's tradition for the Hawkins clan to meet Grams in Tupelo."

"Well, I'll try to convince Aunt Claire for her to stay for the summer."

"Hey, that would be good."

"Excuse me," Precious said quietly. "Could Precious please take my costume home?"

The guys just looked at each other for a moment. Then Richie said, "I think you first need to practice with us a little more."

"Awwwe."

"I know, but this is going to take some work. Soon you're going to be fighting battles that have nothing to do with the superhero business, and I think you'll have your hands full. Besides, we're a team, and we gotta be together."

"That's right," Static said. "Here Muse. Make a fist."

The three of them all made a fist and gently hit the knuckles on the side and then on top.

Next Episode: Little Rascals--The Muse is kidnapped again, this time by some folks who really do mean well. They don't realize that if Static and Gear don't find her in time, her mind might be lost forever.


	3. Little Rascals

Episodes 3: Little Rascals  
  
Note: This is probably not one of the better stories of the series, but bear with me. I wasn't satisfied with some details, including the ending. But I had to write this. Partly it's setting up for stuff I'm going to do later, but mainly I'm trying to portray the temptation most, if not all, victims of autism face--to pull away from the world. "I Am a Rock" is by Simon and Garfunkle.  
  
"Hi Virgil!"  
  
Virgil feigned surprise; Richie told him Precious would be coming in that day. "Hey there, Muse! How's it going? Ready to get back to work?"  
  
"Yes sir, I am. I've been dreaming about it for months. I can't wait!"  
  
"I see you've been working on your speech. Good going!" They had talked several times over the Shock Box. Richie had told him that she was seeing a speech therapist, and every time Precious showed improvement. This, though, was the most normal he had ever heard her.  
  
"Yes. Miss Stanley got me out of class on Tuesdays to help me."  
  
"Well, you're doing great."  
  
Richie came in front the back of the gas station. "Hey Precious! Fancy seeing you here! Hey, I've been doing a little work on the Magic Hat, trying to make things easy for you. I added an automatic mode to the holographic interface. Last time you had to concentrate on your disguise, but this has the wings programmed in. It also has a randomizer on the facial region."  
  
"And that means . . .?"  
  
"She'll appear slightly different every time. It'll make the concept of the Muse more universal."  
  
"OK."  
  
Richie put the hat on Precious' head. "Also it has voice recognition. It knows your voice and can respond to one single-word command. I think you know what that magic word is."  
  
Precious looked confused. "Please?"  
  
"No, the other magic word, the one that worked for you before."  
  
"Oh, MAGIC!" Immediately her features transformed, and she became the Muse. She had black hair, brown eyes, and slightly darker skin. "Cool! Oh, and I have something to add to my costume." She pulled out a necklace with a glass pendant. "My friend Irene from Church gave this to me. It's a prism. Watch this." She put her hands around the pendant, and it started to glow. "This will make some more color."  
  
Richie raised an eyebrow. "Do you play RPGs at home?"  
  
"What's an RPG?"  
  
"It's short for Role Playing Game. I ought to show you some of mine; it'll give you some ideas of new, creative attacks. That just looks like something out of an RPG. I like it. How about you, Virgil?"  
  
"Yeah, it's a change. It might make people think that her magic powers come from the necklace and try to steal it."  
  
"That's ok. It would make an interesting diversion. If they do manage to take it, her powers won't be taken. And we can get another necklace. It doesn't look expensive."  
  
"Ok, we'll see how it works. So, has Backpack picked up anything yet?"  
  
"Unfortunately, no. Guess it's just a balmy summer day. Nobody wants to do crime yet."  
  
"That's ok," Precious said. "There's something I've been wondering. Virgil told me that he didn't learn his powers but they just happened. How did they happen?"  
  
"Well, that's a long story," Virgil snickered.  
  
"Well, since we have nowhere to go . . . "  
  
"Ok. It happened years ago. I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time doing the wrong thing. I really don't want to get into that. It's full of bad memories. But when I was there, these containers exploded and gave off a purple gas. I woke up next morning with electric powers. We found out everybody who breathed it in got a different power."  
  
"And that's how so many people are able to do magic?"  
  
"That's right."  
  
"And you Richie? You were down there?"  
  
"Actually, no. After Virgil realized his powers, I was the first person he showed. I was the one who suggested he should be a superhero. I got the gas secondhand, because his clothes were still reeking of it. It had kinda a delayed reaction. I got my powers a couple of years later that made me super, super smart."  
  
"Almost as smart as you," Virgil laughed.  
  
"So, how is it that you know how to work your powers?"  
  
"Practice," they said together.  
  
"And how did you keep your powers?"  
  
"That's part of the mystery of the gas," Richie explained. "Somehow it changed our DNA, I think. There's no other explanation."  
  
"Oh, I see! That's what bang babies are! I had wondered when I heard that from those mean guys who took me."  
  
"Yeah, that's right," Virgil nodded. "We're also called metahumans, a term that yours truly coined, thank you very much."  
  
"So what do you call people who aren't bang babies?"  
  
Richie said, "Non-metahumans, or . . ."  
  
"Muggles," Virgil quickly added.  
  
Precious looked offended. "Hey."  
  
Virgil laughed. "Just kidding. Really we just call them humans."  
  
They talked for a long time about other bang babies and helped her to understand. It must have taken an hour, and Backpack never went off. All the heroes were starting to get a little restless.  
  
"Hey Precious, what music do you like?" Virgil asked out of the blue.  
  
"New Age, Classical, Mannheim Steamroller, Mike Oldfield. Mommy likes Rock and Roll. I like some of that. And sometimes we listen to Country and Top 40. I guess I'd listen to just about everything."  
  
"What about Rap or Hip Hop?"  
  
"Oh, Mommy won't let me listen to that. She says it's vulgar. V-U-L-G-A- R, crudely indecent. I-N-D-E--"  
  
"Yeah, I know. She's right; a lot of it is, but not all of it. In fact, I personally know such a musician whose music isn't vulgar, and he lives here in Dakota. You wanna meet him?"  
  
"OK."  
  
"Cool. I'll take you to his apartment. Richie, you mind calling Adam and tell him we're coming?"  
  
"Can do."  
  
They took off. The Muse stared down at Dakota. "I like flying," she said.  
  
"Yeah," Static said. "It never gets old."  
  
She noticed some kids playing in the street. "Hey look! It's Static and the Muse!" The kids waved at the superheroes.  
  
"Did you hear that?" she said. "They recognized me!"  
  
"They sure do. You know, some people had been really missing you when you weren't here."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah, they've been asking about you."  
  
"Wow."  
  
Others were also watching the superheroes, but neither Static nor the Muse saw them. They hid in the shadows. "That's her," one whispered. "Let's prepare for a new resident. It's time."  
  
****************  
  
A very tall young man greeted the heroes at the door. "Hey Static," he said. "What a surprise."  
  
"And I got another one for you. Adam, this is the Muse. Muse, this is Adam Evans."  
  
Adam shook her hand. "Static's been telling me a lot about you. It's an honor to finally meet you."  
  
"Pleased to meet you," the Muse answered in a flat voice. "My name is P--I mean, pleased to meet you."  
  
"Come in. Would you like something to drink?"  
  
"Yes please."  
  
"How about a Coke? Will that be good? OK, I'll get it." Adam didn't move from his spot. He stretched his arm down the hall, around the den, and over to the kitchen. A minute later, the arm returned with a can of Coke in its hand. "Here you go."  
  
Precious didn't take it but stood with her jaw dropped. "Oh, are you a bang baby?"  
  
Static slapped his forehead. "Man, I forgot to tell you! When Adam's not making music or chillin' with his girlfriend, what's her name, Shannon?"  
  
"SHARON Hawkins," Adam nodded. (The Muse stifled a giggle and looked at Static.)  
  
"Right. Anyway, when he's not doing that, he's a superhero too. He calls himself Rubberband Man."  
  
"Oh, cool," Precious said. "How come I haven't seen him before?"  
  
"I'm only a hero occasionally. My music career keeps me pretty busy. Hey, how come you didn't tell her that? Isn't that the most important thing?"  
  
"Well, I was too wound up about sharing your music with her," Virgil replied.  
  
"A'ight, I'd be glad to. Hey Muse, would you like to tour my crib?"  
  
The Muse didn't respond for a moment, then asked, "You still have a crib?"  
  
Static and Adam both burst out laughing. "Well, that shows how much she watches MTV," Static said.  
  
"I don't get it," the Muse said quietly.  
  
"It's ok," Adam said. "'Crib' is a word from a special kind of slang. It means my place, house, shelter, casa."  
  
"Oh, like 'pad?'"  
  
The guys laughed again. "What you going do? She's the daughter of a hippie," Static shrugged.  
  
"Yeah that's right. So, you wanna?"  
  
"OK."  
  
He showed her all around. Static didn't come along, probably because he'd been there before a few times.  
  
Adam pointed to a picture in his den. "That's me with AJ McClean. You know who the Backstreet Boys are?"  
  
"The Backstreet Boys were a popular boy band that came on the music scene in 1994 with hits such like 'I Want it That Way,' 'Larger than Life,' and 'Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely.'"  
  
"Uh, yeah. Well, AJ's a member of the Backstreet Boys."  
  
"AJ McClean went into rehabilitation for alcohol detoxification and to treat depression in July 2001. They have not recorded a record since."  
  
"How do you know all this? You a fan?"  
  
"Mommy likes to watch the entertainment talk show 'Real Life LA.'"  
  
"Yeah. Well still, it was cool meeting him. They almost cut one of my songs, but then September 11 happened. They cancelled all their tours and recording sessions. But they're about to go back into the studio soon, so there's still hope." Adam closed the door. "Hey Muse, Static told me you liked to read a lot."  
  
"Oh yes, I love to read."  
  
Adam looked around and said softly, "Can you keep a secret?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I have something called dyslexia. You know what that is?"  
  
"D-I-S . . . D-I-S . . . D-I-S . . ."  
  
"I think it's spelled with a 'y.'"  
  
"D-Y-S-L-E-X-I-A, a learning disorder marked by impairment of the ability to read."  
  
"Man, Static was right. You are a living dictionary. I don't know a lot of superheroes with that power."  
  
"So, you can't read?"  
  
"Not exactly. I can read but not really good. It's very hard. I'm getting better at it, but I can use some help. I'd like to know how to enjoy it. For instance, everybody's so hyped about Harry Potter, and I have no idea why. Even when I tried to read it, I couldn't concentrate."  
  
"Mommy says I taught myself how to read. I don't remember that, but I believe her. I can't remember a time I didn't like books."  
  
"Yeah, that's what Static said. Well, will you help me?"  
  
"OK."  
  
"Great! Thanks so much."  
  
"Hey RBM!" Static called up. "We gonna have some music anytime soon?"  
  
"Oh yeah! Let's get this show going."  
  
He brought the Muse back downstairs, and then a shrill beep came out of nowhere. The Muse froze and looked around in fear.  
  
"It's ok, Muse!" Static said. "It's just your Shock Box."  
  
"Oh. It never went off before."  
  
"Yeah, you usually call us. Go on, answer it."  
  
She pulled it out and pushed a button. "Hello?"  
  
"Muse?" Gear's voice said back.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Hey, it's Gear. I was just testing to see if your shock box worked."  
  
"Oh, ok." She started to turn it off.  
  
"Wait!" Static said, but it was too late. He got out his Shock Box and paged Gear. "Is there anything else you wanted to say?"  
  
"Yeah actually. Backpack just went off. There's some kind of disturbance at the Community Center."  
  
"Alright, we'll be there in a sec. Oh, and FYI Gear, we might want to put the Muse's Shock Box on vibrate."  
  
"I'll keep that in mind."  
  
"Ready Muse?" Static asked.  
  
"Yeah," she nodded. "Is Rubberband Man coming?"  
  
Adam's clothes suddenly changed into a plastic dark purple outfit. "I was just about to ask that myself."  
  
"Sure, you can come," Static nodded as he hopped on his flying disk and took off.  
  
"Here, Muse, why don't you give your wings a rest? The Community Center is a ways downtown."  
  
"But--"  
  
"I think you'd like to travel for once the Rubberband Man way. It's fun."  
  
"OK."  
  
"Just get on my back. Hold real tight to my neck. That's it. Here we go."  
  
He turned himself into a gigantic spring and bounced the whole way. The Muse loved it! She couldn't stop laughing. "It's feels like I'm riding Tigger," she said at one point.  
  
"Yeah," Rubberband Man laughed.  
  
About halfway there, the Muse's Shock Box went off again. "Hello?"  
  
"Where are you two? Gear and I are already here!"  
  
"Well, she's a little heavier than I expected," Rubberband Man replied. "No offense," he added hastily.  
  
"It's ok," the Muse answered.  
  
"But we are making good time, I swear."  
  
"Good time or not, I think you two should split up for right now."  
  
"Well maybe he could fly with me," the Muse suggested.  
  
"That's ok," Rubberband Man said. "I've flown before. I'm fine."  
  
"OK. This was fun."  
  
"Let's do it again sometime."  
  
"OK." The Muse got airborne, and then she asked into her Shock Box, "So what is it?"  
  
"Well," Gear answered, "you're not going to like this. It's Dumbledore."  
  
"Dumbledore?"  
  
"Well, it's some wizard with a long beard. It looks like Dumbledore."  
  
"It may not be Dumbledore. Let me see."  
  
"He's really frustrating!" Static added.  
  
Just in a minute, the Muse saw why. The wizard had a red robe and carried a staff. He frequently became invisible, save for a very fine outline. Static and Gear chased the outline, and then he reappeared very suddenly and hit them with a beam of light.  
  
"That's not Dumbledore," the Muse called out. "Dumbledore doesn't have a staff."  
  
"Alright you proved that you're more of a Potterholic than me," Gear said. "So who is it?"  
  
"I think it's Zemenar, head of the Society of Wizard. But wait, he was eaten by Kazul, King of the Dragons."  
  
"Uh, that's not in Harry Potter, is it?"  
  
"No, it's in the Enchanted For--" Suddenly, there was a large blast of light from the wizard's staff, and Gear turned into stone. "Gear!"  
  
"That wasn't cool," Static said. "Can you take it as well as you serve it up?" He shocked the wizard, but it had absolutely no effect. The wizard turned around and petrified Static too.  
  
"That does it. STOP!" Just like last time, everything froze. She glared at the wizard. "I'm not afraid of you. I don't like your magic. Change my friends back, or I'll never let you go!"  
  
The wizard looked at her and smirked. To her amazement, he took one step forward. Then he slowly began to walk toward Muse.  
  
"It's not working." The Muse began to panic. "Magic! Magic! MAGIC! MAAAAAAGIIIIIIIIC!"  
  
"Don't be afraid," a child's voice said. The Muse looked up and saw the voice was coming from the wizard. "I'm your friend."  
  
"You are a stranger, and you're bad. That's why we're fighting you."  
  
"Nobody's hurt. I just needed to stop them so I could get to you. They'll be changed back once we go."  
  
"Go? Where are you taking me?"  
  
"Home." He raised his staff high above their heads, and the Muse began to vanish.  
  
"Hey, sorry I'm late," a voice said in the back. It was Rubberband Man. "Did I miss anything?"  
  
The Muse didn't have time to think, so she said the first thing that came to mind. "RB, help!"  
  
"Muse! Don't worry, I got you!" He stretched out his arms toward her and grabbed her. There was a blinding flash. Rubberband Man was knocked back, and his arms retracted a little too quickly.  
  
"Whoa, that was quick!" Static said. "He's gone already. Looks like you've done it again, Muse. Muse? Muse where are you?"  
  
"She's gone," Rubberband Man said, disoriented.  
  
"Oh no, not again!" Gear cried.  
  
"RBM, what's up?" Static said as he and Gear came over to him.  
  
"She didn't run off," he explained. "She disappeared with that wizard. I saw it happen. I tried to get her as quick as I could, but all I got was this." He held up the Magic Hat.  
  
"Oh man, this is bad," Gear said.  
  
"It's going to be ok. We can trace her." Static pulled out his Shock Box. "Muse? Come in Muse. Where are you?" He shook his head. "Nothing. Well, maybe she'll find a way to contact us."  
  
"I sure hope so," Gear said. "Without her hat, well, I hate to think about what will happen."  
  
****************  
  
Precious found herself in the middle of total darkness. "Static? Gear? Rubberband Man?" She shivered. "Where am I? It's so cold."  
  
"Here, you can borrow my jacket," a voice said. Somebody put a pink jacket over Precious' shoulders. Precious turned around and saw a girl who looked just a year or two younger than Virgil. She wore overalls and a very high Afro ponytail puff. Next to her was a boy about Precious' age with sandy brown hair. He wore a green shirt and jeans. And just behind them was a very pale teenage girl who wore rags.  
  
"Who are you?" Precious asked.  
  
"You can call me Mirage," the girl who loaned Precious her jacket answered.  
  
"The voices say I am Permafrost," the pale girl said.  
  
"And I'm Dwayne," the boy said. (His voice was what she heard from the wizard.) "I never could think of a cool name. I tried."  
  
"Pleased to meet you," Precious said. "My name is--"  
  
"The Muse!" the kids said together.  
  
"We know all about you," Mirage said.  
  
"And your powers," Dwayne said.  
  
"We've been waiting for you to appear so that we could bring you in," Permafrost said.  
  
"Oh yes, my powers," Precious said. "Magic," she whispered to herself. "Magic! Magic! Why isn't anything happening?" She touched her head and felt hair. "Oh no! My Magic Hat's gone! Oh no! I'm not pretending!" She started to panic again and tried to hide her face in Mirage's jacket.  
  
"It's ok," Mirage said. "We'll keep your secret. You don't even have to tell us your name."  
  
"But if it'll make you more comfortable, go ahead," Dwayne said. "None of us ever wore a mask."  
  
"Maybe that's how we all got caught by Static," Permafrost said.  
  
"Caught by Static?" Precious repeated. "Are you all bad? But you're so young."  
  
"It's true," Dwayne said. "We were all around during the Big Bang. We have powers just like yours."  
  
"But it happened years ago! If you were around during the Big Bang, you would be almost as old as Static, wouldn't you?"  
  
"I don't want to grow up, and I always get what I want."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"He can make things become other things with his mind," Mirage said. "It's about the same with me. I can make my imagination come to life."  
  
"And I can make it winter all year long," Permafrost said darkly.  
  
"Your powers sound very neat," Precious said.  
  
"Yeah, just about as neat as yours," Mirage said.  
  
"I don't completely know how I got them. I wasn't in the Big Bang. My cousin made me a hat, and I could do magic. But I don't have the hat, so . . . "  
  
"I think it's in there, latent," Mirage said.  
  
"But our powers weren't neat when you think about what we did with them," Dwayne said. "My stepbrother made me use them to steal."  
  
"So did my brother, " Mirage said.  
  
"I promised Static I would stop using my powers until I figured out what the right thing was to do. But I couldn't stop. Every thought, every desire, every whim caused them to activate. So, I figured out the way. I was going to cut myself off from the world forever. I made myself a place where my powers cannot hurt anyone."  
  
"But they can't help anyone either."  
  
"It's too big a risk. In time, I found Mirage and Permafrost. They were both alone in the world, and their powers only got them trouble. I allowed them to stay with me so we would never be alone. We use our powers together to live and have fun."  
  
"It's good," Mirage said, "We're shielded in our armor."  
  
"Hiding in our room, safe within our womb," Permafrost said.  
  
"We bother no one, and no one bothers us," Dwayne concluded.  
  
"But I don't understand," Precious said. "How did you know about me?"  
  
"Sometimes I watch out there to see what's going on, to find more friends," Dwayne explained. "I saw you at work last Christmas. Then you left, but I knew it was a matter of time before you showed up again."  
  
"Well, it is nice to meet you. I hope we could be friends and play sometimes."  
  
The three kids looked at each other. "Why don't you play with us a little bit now?" Dwayne said. "What is your favorite thing to do?"  
  
"Read. I need my books and my poetry to protect me."  
  
"Oh. I don't like reading. Do you play video games?"  
  
"No. All we have is an Intellivision."  
  
"Well, video games are sort of like live books. How would you like to live a book?"  
  
"OK."  
  
Dwayne and Mirage held hands, and suddenly there was fantasy scenery around them. "Come on, let's go!" Mirage said.  
  
***************  
  
"This is bad. This is bad," Gear said for about the hundredth time as he stared at the Magic Hat in his hands.  
  
"Muse, please answer us," Static said into the Shock Box once again. "PRECIOUS child, come in please. We want to find you!" He turned around. "Any luck tracking the signal, Gear?"  
  
"None," Gear answered. "No signal, no DNA trace, it's like she disappeared off the face off the earth. And we've got the Magic Hat. Man, this is bad."  
  
"Will you quit saying that?" Rubberband Man said. "Good grief, I thought you were more of an optimist than this, Gear!"  
  
"Well, can you blame him?!" Static yelled. "Gear is really close to her outside our superhero life. If her moms got wind of this, she'd kill him."  
  
"No, that's not it," Gear said. "Nothing can be good if we have the Magic Hat."  
  
"Oh yeah, that's right. Without it, the Muse helpless."  
  
"Worse than that, if she leaves it off for too long, she could revert."  
  
"Revert? What do you mean?"  
  
"Well . . . uh . . . I can tell you privately."  
  
"Don't worry about it, Gear," Rubberband Man said. "I got the whole 411 about her disability."  
  
"You did?"  
  
"Yeah," Static answered. "I told him about it."  
  
"May I ask how come? I mean, you're the one who wanted to keep it under wraps."  
  
"It's rather personal," Rubberband Man said.  
  
"Well, anyhow, it can happen with autism. One day they're highly functioning, next day they can barely talk."  
  
"That sudden?" Static asked.  
  
"Of course not; it's a metaphor. Or . . . I don't know. I've just heard about it happening. I'm scared. She's had this for about a year now. It's amazing how far she's come. If she doesn't have it for so long, all her progress could go down the drain, and I don't know if I will be able to fish it back out. I'm a genius, but I can only work so many miracles."  
  
"We're gonna find her, bro," Static said reassuringly. "We've got to find a way. In fact, we might be going about this the wrong way. It's time for us superheroes to put on our detective hats." He took the Magic Hat and put it on his head. Then he looked satirically thoughtful. Gear tried hard not to laugh. Then Static said in a phony English accent, "Clue the first--the incident occurred at Dakota's beloved Community Center. Clue the second--my electric powers had absolutely no effect upon the perpetrator. Clue the third--after careful recollection, the so-called 'wizard' is now recognized as an obstacle in the popular Role Playing Game 'Galaxy Sea.'"  
  
"So what does this all add up to?" Rubberband Man asked.  
  
"Ah, elementary my dear Rubberband Man, elementary," Static replied. That was too much; Gear burst out laughing. Everybody laughed a little. "It is evident that our culprit is young, misguided Dwayne. He probably still goes to the center, and even if he doesn't all we have to do is to obtain his file from the supervisor."  
  
"I know him! That's Sharon's father."  
  
"Excellent. Quickly Gear, the game's afoot." Gear laughed again. They went back into the center back to Mr. Hawkins' office. Everyone knew the way, but Static got them lost a couple of times. "Mr. Hawking I presume?" he said to his dad.  
  
"It's 'Hawkins,' Static," Rubberband Man said annoyed.  
  
"Oh, I knew that."  
  
"Uh, yes," Mr. Hawkins. "I would like to thank you gentlemen for clearing up the disturbance earlier today."  
  
"No problem," Static said, "but uh . . . we can't really take credit for it."  
  
"Oh, is it that new girl, the Muse? She looks promising. There is something though. I don't know if you guys notice it, but there seems to be something . . . off about her."  
  
"Like what?" Gear said, trying to sound like nothing like that ever occurred to him before.  
  
"Well, I can't say for certain until I evaluate her in person. Here." He handed Static a card. "Just let her know whenever she out of uniform and she feels like she needs a place to go, she can come to the center anytime."  
  
"We'll do that," Static said, "once we find her."  
  
"She's missing?"  
  
"Yes, and we need your help. Do you have any information on Dwayne? As I recall, he used to go here regularly. That's where I first tangled with him."  
  
"Normally, this would be confidential, but actually I am surprised you didn't follow this. Dwayne ran away from home a long time ago. He left a note with his mother saying that he was going to a place where no one would be able to find him. Police have searched all over the state, but they haven't been successful. Even a psychic consultant said it is like he had disappeared off the face of the earth."  
  
"Oh, really?" Gear said. "Well, thank you very much sir. We'll use that as much as we can, and maybe we'll find them both."  
  
As soon as they got out of the office, Static shook his head. "Man, I thought that kid had it together."  
  
He thought out back to the last thing he ever heard from the boy. "I don't know what to do, so I'm going to wait."  
  
"Wait for what?"  
  
"Until I know the right thing to do."  
  
"Come on," Gear said breaking Static out of his flashback. "I got a hunch."  
  
****************  
  
Precious had finished three games with her captors. She won only one, but she didn't care. She was laughing with all the kids. Then her stomach growled. "Oh my, I'm so hungry."  
  
"No problem," Dwayne said. "What is your favorite thing to eat in the whole world?"  
  
"Macaroni and cheese."  
  
Dwayne waved his hands, and macaroni and cheese rained down and made a huge mountain in front of her. "Help yourself. You can have this every night if you want, and you can have all the candy, ice cream, pizza, and anything else you want. No grownups are here to tell you any different."  
  
Precious just looked at the food in front of her.  
  
"Go ahead," Mirage said. "Why aren't you eating?"  
  
"I only like it the way Mommy makes it," she said in a flat voice.  
  
"Well, I'm afraid I can't help you there," Dwayne said. "I don't think there's much of a difference."  
  
"I changed my mind. I'm not hungry. I'm tired."  
  
"Mirage?" Dwayne said. Mirage made a comfortable bed appear. The macaroni and cheese vanished.  
  
"I can't sleep in that. I must have my Harry Potter sheets, and the bed needs to be turned to the window, and it must be completely dark, and I need my diary, and--"  
  
"We'll follow all of your instructions," Dwayne said. "We want you to be comfortable."  
  
"I'm not comfortable if I'm not in a place I don't know. Please, let me go home."  
  
The kids ganged up on her. "Don't you understand, Muse?" Dwayne said gently. "You can't go home. Your powers are too dangerous. It would be best for everybody if you stay here with us."  
  
"But I have to go home. Mommy and my aunt and uncle and cousin would be so worried."  
  
"Why do you think that?" Permafrost said.  
  
"Because they say it every time I get lost."  
  
"And why is that?"  
  
"Because, I think, they love me."  
  
"Love is the greatest illusion in the world," Mirage said. "I thought my brother was using my powers out of love for our grandmother."  
  
"And I thought my stepbrother loved me when he told me to rob the bank," Dwayne said.  
  
"I once knew a life of love," Permafrost said, "but I lost it in a heartbeat."  
  
"Stay here," Mirage said. "What do you need love for? Soon you'll forget what it is. It will sleep in your memory, and you won't want to wake it up."  
  
"Just think," Permafrost added, "If you never loved, you never would have cried."  
  
Precious was feeling helpless and afraid. Then she remembered she had her shock box. So she pulled it out. "Static, Gear, can you read me? I need your help."  
  
"It's not going to work, Muse," Dwayne said. "Don't you know where you are? You're nowhere. Nothing can reach this place, and there is no way out."  
  
Precious began to hyperventilate. "No. No! NOOOOOO!" She fell to the floor, crying, thrashing, kicking, and screaming. "Precious wants to go home! Precious wants Mommy!"  
  
"It'll be alright," Mirage said trying to comfort her.  
  
"LEAVE PRECIOUS ALONE!" Precious pushed her back. The three kids watched as she continued her tantrum.  
  
*****************  
  
"So what's on your mind?" Static asked. "Do you think she's on another planet?"  
  
"I doubt it," Gear answered. "I think it's more likely that she's in the pumpkin patch."  
  
"What?" Rubberband Man said.  
  
"It's from an episode from that old sci-fi series 'Enigma Area.' There was this kid with almost omnipotent powers, and whenever anybody did something he didn't like he used those powers to send that person to what he called the pumpkin patch. The more I think about it, the more I think Dwayne's like that boy."  
  
"But what could he have against the Muse? He doesn't even know her."  
  
"Well, the last thing he said to me was that he was going to search for the right thing to do," Static said. "Maybe he thought the right thing to do was run away and find a place where his powers could do no harm. Somehow, he must have seen the Muse in action and thought she was also in danger. So he brought her to wherever he went. Of course, the important thing to ask is how are we going to find her?"  
  
"Well, I can't send matter to another reality, but I think I can manage to send a vibration. It might cause a rift that she could use to get to our side. If nothing else, it would let her know that we're trying to reach her."  
  
"Can you send some electricity?" Static asked bashfully.  
  
"Oh, yes of course. Good thinking. Backpack, get on it!" The light on Backpack changed color, and the contraption shook. Static placed his hands on top of the light and used as much as his power as he could.  
  
"Hey, I want part of this too!" Rubberband Man said.  
  
"Then you can give her back her hat when we get her back!" Gear said.  
  
"Oh, right," Rubberband Man said as he bounced off.  
  
"At least, I hope this works. No one who has been to the pumpkin patch has ever come back."  
  
******************  
  
Precious continued her fit. Every time any one of them tried to come near her, she pushed them back and told them to leave her alone. Suddenly, the air around her began to shake. Her shock box started to crackle. "What's happening?" Mirage said.  
  
"I don't like this," Permafrost said.  
  
Suddenly, out of the shaking air, a lightning bolt shot out and hit Precious upon the head. She started to feel her magic return. Precious stood. "The magic is back! Precious is going home!"  
  
"No!" Dwayne grabbed her head. "You will stay!"  
  
Precious in turn held Dwayne's head by the temples and screamed, "LET ME GO!" She felt magic build up in her hands. Then suddenly all around her was bright light and loud sound that scared her to death. She closed her eyes and cried.  
  
"What's the matter?" a voice said.  
  
"Go away!" she yelled again as she pulled Mirage's jacket over her head.  
  
"It's alright. I'm here to help. I'll get you home."  
  
She continued to cover her face with the jacket, but she revealed her eyes. It was much too bright, but when they adjusted she saw the face of a kind man. She noticed his nametag. She ran her fingers on the letters.  
  
"Robert Hawkins," she read. "Are you related to Virgil Hawkins?"  
  
"Yes. He's my son," he replied awkwardly.  
  
She hugged his neck.  
  
"There she is!" Static said. "Muse, way to go, you did it!"  
  
"Static," she whispered. "You gave me back my magic."  
  
"I believe this is yours," Rubberband Man said as he put her hat on her head.  
  
"Thank you," she said softly.  
  
"Well, let's go," Static said as he picked the girl up in her arms. "Thank you Mr. Falcons."  
  
"Silly, his name is Mr. Hawkins," Precious giggled.  
  
"Oh. I knew that."  
  
***************  
  
The next day, everybody took it easy. Adam played his music, and Precious really enjoyed it. Richie gave her an RPG to try. Once she got the hang of it, she loved it. She stayed very tight-lipped about her experience with Dwayne and the others. She only told a few details.  
  
"Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?" Virgil said. "You know, I know all three of them. They're not bad kids. They just came from a bad place. I can help them all."  
  
"But they seem happy where they are," Precious said. "I don't think we need to disturb them. It just wasn't a place for me. I'm so glad I got out. I would have missed you so much."  
  
"Well, thanks," Virgil said.  
  
"No, thank you," Precious said. "I really mean it when I say you got me out."  
  
"I'll see you tomorrow."  
  
"Bye," she said. Precious closed the door behind him. She didn't want to admit it, not even to herself, but part of her wanted to go back. In the depths of her soul, she could hear one piece of logic from a favorite song of her mother's:  
  
"For a rock feels no pain, and an island never cries . . ."  
  
Next Episode--Charm: Shebang battles another monster, a green eyed monster. As the Muse continues to be successful, Shebang feels left out. Meanwhile, Madeline Spalding thinks she found the source of the Muse's power and is willing to get whatever she wants. 


	4. Charm

Episode 4: Charm  
  
Note: The book quoted from memory is "The Land of Oz" by L. Frank Baum. It's the sequel to "The Wizard of Oz." That's right; it was originally a book series, and a really good one at that. And you know "Madeline." I don't own that either.  
  
"Come on," Carmen Dillo said. "It's right in here."  
  
"You sure about this?" Tarmac demanded.  
  
"Hey, I got it from a reliable source, a brother of a recording artist. They got the CD a week in advance, and there are people who would pay good money to get it."  
  
"Is that so? What about those people who download it for free?"  
  
"I think the music industry has scared them away."  
  
"I don't they'd look too kindly on this either," a wisecrack sounded from above them. It was Static. Tarmac grinned an evil grin as he started to mold a ball of fire in his hand, but then he saw another form just beyond Static's shoulder.  
  
"The Muse?"  
  
"Awwe, man!" Carmen Dillo yelled. "Nobody told me in jail that the Muse was back in town!"  
  
The girl flew down to them and glared at the criminals. "Give me one reason why I should be afraid of you."  
  
"You know what, sweetheart? You don't even need one." Carmen Dillo held out his hands (forefeet?) out to be cuffed. "I surrender."  
  
"You know what?" Tarmac said. "For once, that doesn't sound half bad."  
  
"What? You're taking all the fun out of it?" Static said.  
  
"You want us to change our mind?" Carmen Dillo sneered.  
  
"No, this is cool."  
  
Gear sent a signal out to the police through Backpack immediately. Just then, they heard a thud. "All right, where are all the bad guys? You can't hide forever! Come on out!"  
  
"Hi Shebang!" the Muse cried gleefully.  
  
"Huh?" Shebang turned to see the young superhero waving at her. "Oh, hey Muse! How's it going?"  
  
"Good, how about you?"  
  
"OK, I guess. Can we continue this conversation later? I got to fight!"  
  
"Don't worry about it, Shebang," Static said. "Funniest thing happened. Once the Muse showed up, they surrendered."  
  
"Oh, really." Shebang did not sound thrilled.  
  
"Yeah, you can rest up those muscles for next time."  
  
"All right, great." She started to stalk off, while muttering under her breath, "They've been resting enough, thank you."  
  
Suddenly, several reporters bombarded the three remaining superheroes. The Muse started to hide her face. Gear got up in front of her and announced, "OK, I know you're the paparazzi and this is what you do, but if you don't mind please stop crowding us and ask only one question at a time. The Muse is still nervous and shy."  
  
But a certain TV reporter came up to the front. "Hi Miss Sandoval," the Muse cheerfully greeted.  
  
"Hi there," she answered. "Can I ask you a few questions?"  
  
"OK."  
  
Shelly Sandoval said into the camera, "In an unprecedented event, the Muse's presence caused two metahumans to surrender without a violent confrontation. So Muse, how do you feel about this?"  
  
"Amazed, astonished, astounded, blown away, bewildered, dumbfounded, flabbergasted, F-L-A-B--"  
  
"Great, well said. I'm sure we all feel that way. Why do you think they surrendered?"  
  
"I don't know, but I'm glad they did. They're one less nightmare on the streets."  
  
"Well, was it more having to do with your skills as a superhero, or you reputation, or was it just luck?"  
  
"Maybe a little bit of all three. Really all it comes down to is good is allowed once again to triumph over evil, and that's the important thing. We all should be thankful for that."  
  
"How do you feel about your position?"  
  
"My position? I don't understand. Could you please rephrase the question?"  
  
"Do you feel like you're a better superhero than Static or Shebang?"  
  
"Oh, of course not! We're a team. We play together."  
  
Later that night, Shebang turned on a small TV in the gas station to the report. Then she started kicking and punching a punch bag. Every time the Muse said something, Shebang pounded harder.  
  
Static and Gear came in for a break during night patrol and saw Shebang there. "Hey, what's up with you?" Static said.  
  
"It's none of your business!" she snapped at him.  
  
"We could have used your help," Gear said.  
  
"I doubt it," she replied through gritted teeth. "Your precious little Muse would have taken care of it too."  
  
"You know she's not with us," Static said. "She's doing her . . . other secret volunteer work."  
  
"Oh, you make her sound like such a goody-goody two shoes."  
  
"What?!" Gear practically screamed. "What is your problem?"  
  
"Haven't you noticed it? She's a glory hog! We've done all the legwork for the past five years, and she's getting all the credit! It's not fair!"  
  
"Hey, she doesn't get much glory at home," Static said. "I say power to her."  
  
"But she doesn't deserve it! We've all practiced and worked so hard, but every time we discuss strategies, she's either reading a book, picking at that old poster, or (and this is the weirdest and most annoying) peeling foil off of old gum wrappers!"  
  
"It's her stress management program!" Gear explained. "She needs to get that tension out before we go out."  
  
"Yeah, but still, it's like she's putting no effort into this, and I say again it's not fair!"  
  
"Hey, she's putting a lot more effort into this than you realize. I thought you of all people would understand what she's been through."  
  
"Don't be ridiculous! She wasn't created in a lab. She hasn't had to run from the government. She--"  
  
"Listen Shenice," Static said. "I know, she's got appeal and talent you don't have, but so what? Believe it or not, you got strengths that she doesn't have, and one day she's gonna need you."  
  
"Yeah?" Shebang answered. She went up to Static and looked him dead in the eyes. "Well, when that day comes, I'm just going to look down at her and laugh." She held that defiant stare for a few seconds, then she walked out of the gas station.  
  
"She needs an attitude adjustment bad," Gear said as soon as she was gone.  
  
"Reality check," Virgil answered. "She's needed one ever since we first met her!"  
  
"Yeah well, if she's going to keep talking smack about MY cousin, I don't want to be near her anymore. Have you told her about--"  
  
"No, I didn't see a reason. They seemed to get along fine from the start. You've seen Shenice earlier. She was smiling and waving and carrying on. I guess Shenice is good at pretending. Besides, the only reason I told Adam about it is because the two of us have an . . . understanding, you know what I'm sayin'? There's not that kind of deal with Shenice. I think in this case it should be your choice."  
  
"You sure? All right. Well, I'll think about what to say."  
  
"Why don't you just tell her what you told me? That's what I told Adam."  
  
"Well, there's a difference. You're my friend, and she's . . . well it's not right to say that she's not, but . . . I gotta think about it. Speaking of Adam, I think it's about time we pick up our little 'glory hog.'" Gear made the quotation marks with his fingers. "It's almost her curfew."  
  
"Hey, that's one thing Shebang can do that Muse can't--the late night shift!"  
  
****************  
  
"'I transformed her.'" The Muse read slowly and suspenseful while pointing to each of the words.  
  
"No way!" Adam said. "So Ozma is still around? What happened?"  
  
"'I transformed her into . . . into . . .'" The rest of the sentence was on the next page, but the pages were stuck together. The Muse was having trouble turning them.  
  
"Come on, lick your finger! Turn, it, quick!"  
  
"OK Muse," Gear's voice said. "It's time to go home."  
  
"Awe, come on Gear!" Adam said. "We're about to find out what wicked, old Mombi did to Princess Ozma. I'm on pins and needles here, and you know how torn up rubber gets when it's on pins and needles."  
  
"Well, you got to bare it like Sheherizad's husband," Static said.  
  
"Can't I just finish this chapter?" the Muse begged. "We're almost done."  
  
"Sorry, it's just about time for you to go to bed," Gear said. "Mom and Dad will be worried if we're not home in half an hour."  
  
"Well, ok," the Muse muttered as she shut the book. "But first, can I go to . . . to . . . just real quick?"  
  
"She did have a couple of glasses of OJ," Adam shrugged.  
  
"All right, but be quick." She ran out the room, and Gear followed her.  
  
"Static," Adam said as he stood, and he lowered his voice, "I want to thank you again for letting me borrow her. I know she thinks she's teaching me how to read, but really she's doing so much more. She's showing me how to enjoy reading. When she reads, I'm seeing what she's saying going on in my head. It's the coolest thing. I've never experienced this, even when a teacher read to me. And I think my skills as a reader are improving. I can't tell you how much she's really doing for me."  
  
"You're welcome, but really we should be thanking you. She needs more strong brothers around, you know? I think it's great that you're hanging out. You two might be the first superheroes who have to conquer one of the greatest foes ever--your own mind."  
  
Gear and the Muse came back in. "Well, goodnight," Gear said.  
  
"Hey, M," Adam said. As the Muse turned around, Adam pulled his wallet out. "I know we agreed this was going to be a volunteer gig, but you're a big girl. I mean, your big birthday's coming up pretty soon isn't it?"  
  
"July 23," she answered.  
  
"Well . . . that's in a few weeks."  
  
"More like over a month."  
  
"It'll be here before you know it. Anyhow, you so deserve this, so here's a buck for every year you're going to be." He gave her two fives.  
  
"Ten dollars. Wow, that's a lot. Thank you so much."  
  
"No problem. Don't blow it all in one place."  
  
"OK. See you later, RB."  
  
"Take care M."  
  
As she walked out, the two other superheroes eyeballed him. "Are you sure that was a good idea?" Gear said.  
  
"Why not? I got the money. My latest single doing pretty good. She deserves something nice. And Sharon's not going to mind if I angle for a cheap date. I'm doing it for the children after all."  
  
"I don't know about that!" Static laughed. And then he quickly covered his tracks by saying, "Well, you know how women are."  
  
"Hey, don't say that! And besides, Sharon likes M. She keeps saying we're a cute couple."  
  
"Oooh, your girlfriend should watch her back!"  
  
"Cut it out!"  
  
"That's not what I'm talking about," Gear said. "I'm not completely sure if what you did is completely clear to her. It's difficult enough for a mentally normal person her age to understand money. It's even harder for her."  
  
"Well, she's gotta learn the concept sooner or later. Maybe this is one thing I can help her learn."  
  
"I guess all we can do is try," Static shrugged.  
  
"All right, we'll give it a shot," Gear said. "Now, we really better be getting home."  
  
"Yeah, see you tomorrow." Static started to leave, and then he turned around. "Hey by the way, what is this RB and M thing you guys got going on?"  
  
"It's our secret code," Adam said with a grin. Then he stretched his neck over to Static. Adam pointed to himself and whispered, "Reading Buddy," then he pointed outside and whispered, "Mentor."  
  
Static giggled. "Clever."  
  
"Isn't it? It was her idea."  
  
"Well, that explains it. She gets her cleverness from me." With that, he jumped on his flying disk and took off.  
  
**************  
  
An old black and white TV showed the ten o'clock news over at the local prison, but hardly anyone could hear it over a crazy inmate's screaming.  
  
"YOU LET A LITTLE PIXIE PUSH YOU AROUND?!"  
  
"It's not like that, Madelyn!" Carmen Dillo yelled. "She's powerful!"  
  
"She's less than half your size! Why didn't you just knock her down?"  
  
"Because last time I tried, she rolled me up into a huge ball and bounced me around! I couldn't get out, and I was sick for weeks."  
  
"And last time I faced her, she cooled me off so much, I was as useless as a lump of coal," Tarmac said. "Thought I'd never be warm again."  
  
"Come on, she can't be that powerful," Madelyn said.  
  
"Oh, yes she can," Hotstreak said from down the block. "She can put me out like a candle!"  
  
"And she can turn my acidic gas into perfume!" Puff yelled.  
  
"And if I get any close to her, she can freeze me in midair!" Talon said.  
  
"You guys are all crazy! You're getting worked up over nothing!" Madelyn yelled.  
  
"Are we?" Ebon asked. "You underestimate her, but I saw it from the beginning. All those other superheroes are, let's face it, one trick ponies. With Static, you can expect something electrical or magnetic. With Gear, it's something technological. Shebang will push you around, and Rubberband Man will bounce you around. But the Muse may be the first superhero ever that's completely unpredictable. She doesn't announce what attack she's doing, it just happens. It's always different."  
  
"Yeah, Madelyn," Hotstreak said. "It's like whatever's on her mind goes."  
  
"You can't be serious," Madelyn said. "That's not even possible."  
  
"Besides," Shiv added, "it's a big deal when we lose our power, especially to a weak, little girl."  
  
Madelyn turned back to the TV. "Well, one of these days, I'm going to take her on, just to say that I did. And I'm going to win."  
  
After Shelly Sandoval's report the anchors turned to each other. "She really is something, is she?"  
  
"Yes, she's incredibly humble, unlike the other superheroes. She certainly has an irresistible charm about her."  
  
Madelyn looked at the TV thoughtfully. "Irresistible charm?" A picture of the Muse came up above the lead anchor's shoulder, and Madelyn noticed a glowing pendant around the superhero's neck. "And I think I found the way."  
  
***************  
  
"Come on, Precious!" Richie called the next morning. "It's time to go meet Virgil."  
  
"Just a moment," she muttered. "If I break the evil spell on the princess, she might join my party, and I could use another person right now."  
  
Richie lowered his voice. "Precious, crime doesn't stop for your game. We got to get ready."  
  
"I know. I'm just looking for a save point. Good, here's one." She saved the game and turned off his game station. "Let's go." She ran down the stairs. "Bye Uncle Sean! Bye Aunt Maggie! I'm going to play with Richie!"  
  
"OK, have fun!" Mrs. Foley called back.  
  
"You be back before dinner. We're having pizza," Mr. Foley added.  
  
"OK!"  
  
"So," Richie said as they got out of earshot, "are you getting any ideas from the RPGs?"  
  
"I think I want to be an RPG writer when I grow up."  
  
"Really? You know, most of them live in Japan."  
  
"Japan? Cool. I'd love to live there."  
  
"Yes, well what I meant is are you getting any ideas for new attacks?"  
  
"Oh. Yes, I guess I could use some of them."  
  
Not too long after, they picked up a call off of Backpack of a robbery. The perpetrators--Carmen Dillo and Tarmac.  
  
"I knew their surrender was too good to be true," Static observed as they came upon the scene.  
  
"Well, let's do it," Gear said.  
  
Static and Gear went ahead, but something seemed to hold the Muse back. "That's funny," she mumbled. "I was able to move this morning."  
  
The other two turned around. "Need help?" Static asked.  
  
"No thank you, I'll figure this out. It may take some time. You just take care of the robbery; I'll catch up."  
  
"Alright, but if you need help, just holler."  
  
"Let's see," the Muse said to herself. "Move, move, move. Now one foot, and now the other. I can do this." She felt like she was fighting something pushing down against her. It was like how she felt when she tried, unsuccessfully, to ride a bike. Not even her powers seemed to help. "What's happening?" she cried.  
  
"Hello, Muse," a sneering voice said behind her.  
  
The Muse turned around, very slowly, to see a small girl with a dark complexion, short black hair, and wearing an outfit that looked like a crazy quilt. The Muse didn't pick up the nastiness in the girl's voice, so she said, "Hello. How are you?"  
  
"My name is Madelyn Spalding," the girl answered.  
  
"Oh, 'In an old house in Paris that was covered in vines / Lived twelve little girls in two straight lines. / They left the house at half past nine / In two straight lines, in rain or shine. / The smallest one--'"  
  
"Cut it out! I always hated that book."  
  
"Are you from Paris?"  
  
"No, I'm not from Paris! My name's pronounced and spelled differently!"  
  
"Well, it is nice to meet you. I like your clothes. They're colorful. I like color."  
  
"Oh, these? Well, you're the first superhero to compliment my costume. In fact, you're the first . . . person to compliment . . . anything about me."  
  
"You don't have any friends?"  
  
"I didn't say that!"  
  
"You said nobody compliments you. It's the same thing, isn't it? You must be very sad."  
  
"Forget it! Look, you get a couple of kudos, but it won't get you far!" Madelyn's eyes glowed purple, and she waved her arms. The Muse felt the latch of her necklace unlatch, and the necklace floated off of her neck and into Madelyn's hand. The Muse marveled at the feat for a moment. Madelyn just smirked at her.  
  
"Oh, are you a bang baby?"  
  
"Of course I am!"  
  
"That was cool! Hey, I wonder why Static and Gear never told me about you."  
  
"Good question."  
  
"'Cause we didn't know you were still around!" Static said. He and Gear were coming up behind the Muse. "Say, young lady, is this person causing you trouble?"  
  
"Static, this is Madelyn Spalding. She needs a friend."  
  
"I don't doubt it, and I wish her the best of luck in finding one."  
  
"You better think twice in attacking me!" Madelyn yelled. "I've got her necklace! You don't want to destroy it, do you?"  
  
"I don't expect any problems with that." He tried to shock her, but somehow she caused his powers to backfire on the two superheroes and knocked them out.  
  
"What did you do that for?" the Muse asked.  
  
"We have business to discuss in private. I got your necklace and the source of your powers, and I'm not giving it back."  
  
"Why not? Please give it back. It was a gift from a friend. Please!" She tried to reach for it, but Madelyn held it out of her reach and put her hand on the Muse's face.  
  
"Uh-uh," Madelyn replied, shaking her head. "If you want it back, you gotta do some things for me."  
  
"OK. I'll be your friend. Is that what you want?"  
  
Madelyn grinned maliciously. "You could say that."  
  
So Madelyn took the Muse down to a corner drug store. "This is the first task to prove your loyalty. I want you to go in there and get me a candy bar."  
  
"But I don't have enough money to get a candy bar!"  
  
Madelyn held the pendant up. "Do you really want this back? Then go in and get me that candy bar!" She raised her hand, her eyes glowed, and the Muse was forced in.  
  
A few minutes later, the Muse poked her head back out. "Uh, what kind of candy bar do you want?"  
  
"Oh for crying out--anything without peanuts!"  
  
"OK." She went back in. "How am I going to do this?" Suddenly, she pulled out the two fives Adam gave her. "Oh, surely this will buy a candy bar, maybe one for me too."  
  
She got a plain, chocolate candy bar for Madelyn and a peanut butter candy bar for herself. Then, she went to the counter. "Well, hello Muse!" the cashier said. "What brings you here?"  
  
"I've come to buy a candy bar."  
  
"OK." The cashier rung both the candy bars up and told the girl her total. The Muse gave the cashier both fives. "Oh, here young lady. I only need one. And you get sixteen cents back."  
  
"Oh, thank you."  
  
"No, thank you Muse. You have a good day."  
  
As the Muse walked out, Madelyn looked at her impatiently. "What took you so long?"  
  
"Well, I was deciding what to get, and then I was paying for it--"  
  
"Paying for it?! I thought you said you didn't have enough money!"  
  
"I forgot, I had ten dollars. She only took one five, and I got a little money left over."  
  
Madelyn snatched the bag away. "What's this? Peanut butter? I told you, no peanuts!"  
  
"That's for me. This one's for you."  
  
"You got a candy bar for you?"  
  
"Why not? I had enough money, and this way we could share something fun."  
  
Madelyn used her powers to cast the peanut butter candy bar down at the Muse's feet. Then she snatched her own candy bar and took a bite. For some reason, it tasted sweeter than usual. This wasn't normally her favorite candy bar, but somehow it tasted like the best chocolate she ever had. She didn't want her captive to know this, though, so she threw it to the ground. "Come on. It's time for your next test. We better fly this time."  
  
So they both got in the air. "Madelyn, I'm curious. How is it you can fly? You don't have wings or a flying disk or rocket skates. Is this part of your power?"  
  
"My mind moves whatever I want wherever I want to go. And right now I want me to move through the air."  
  
"Oh, so that's what it is? Cool."  
  
"You think so?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Madelyn shook her head. "Quit talking to me! It breaks my concentration!"  
  
"Sorry."  
  
"There." She pointed down at a bank. "Here's your next task: I want you to go in there and get me some money."  
  
"But that's robbery! R-O-B-B-E-R-Y, the act of stealing especially--"  
  
"I KNOW WHAT IT MEANS! I'm no idiot!"  
  
"Then you know it's wrong! It's everything I fight against! It's a sin!"  
  
"Of course, but are you willing to sin to get your divine powers back?"  
  
The Muse sighed.  
  
"That's what I thought. Now get moving!"  
  
The Muse felt pushed in again. Maybe it wouldn't be too bad. People go get money at banks all the time. That's what banks are for. Precious just didn't understand how they worked. She just had to see.  
  
She went up to the nearest teller. "Why hello Muse!" the teller greeted. "I must say thank you for stopping that robbery for us last week."  
  
"Your welcome," the Muse said quietly.  
  
"Sure. Now what can I do for you?"  
  
"I, uh, I need money."  
  
The teller looked at her questionably. "Pardon me?"  
  
"But I don't want to steal! I don't want to do anything wrong, but I need money."  
  
"How much?"  
  
"I don't know! I wasn't told how much. So, how do I go about getting money?"  
  
"Do you have an account with us?"  
  
"I don't understand."  
  
"Did you or your parents or legal guardians ever entrust your money with us?"  
  
Precious thought for a minute. "I don't think so."  
  
"Then I'm afraid there's no way I can legally make your request."  
  
The Muse sighed. "Wait! What I gave you money now? Then can I get money back?" She put down her five-dollar bill and started pulling out the sixteen cents, but the teller started reaching for the bill.  
  
"Sure. We can start a special savings account for you right here. Come back in a little while, and you can get your money back with interest."  
  
"Why would I be interested to get it back?"  
  
The teller chuckled. "Interest means you'll get back a little extra money, sort of our way of saying thank you for choosing us as your bank."  
  
"That sounds good. So how long?"  
  
"Oh, it may be a while, weeks, maybe months. Of course, the longer you leave it here the more interest you get."  
  
The Muse looked back out the window. Madelyn crossed her arms. Turning back around, the Muse said, "I don't think I have that long."  
  
The teller glanced out the window. "There's one other option I can think of." She took the five-dollar bill and exchanged it for five ones. "Does this help?"  
  
"Oh yes! Thank you so much!"  
  
"Glad to be of help. Have a good day."  
  
The Muse ran out the door. "Here Madelyn! I got it!"  
  
"Good going!" Madelyn said. She held out her open palm. "Give me what you got."  
  
The Muse counted into her hand. "One . . . two . . . three . . . fo--"  
  
"Wait a minute! These are all one-dollar bills!" Her eyes glowed, and the money scattered around the ground. "If they were one-hundred dollar bills, I would have been impressed, but this is worthless!"  
  
"Well, I could take it back in and we could be interested to get it back in a while."  
  
"For just five dollars? Even with interest, it will be years before it really amounts to anything. Man, you're terrible at this. Come on."  
  
"Wait!" the Muse said. "We did two things you wanted to do, and they haven't been very fun."  
  
"So? They aren't supposed to be!"  
  
"But that isn't very friendly! Friends try to find things they can do that they both enjoy. Don't you want to friends? Then why don't we do something I want to do?"  
  
Madelyn rolled her eyes. "Alright, fine. What do you think of to do with five dollars?"  
  
"Actually, I know something we can do for free. I think you'll find it interesting."  
  
They flew until the Muse pointed the place out. "The library?" Madelyn scoffed. "I hate reading."  
  
"Yeah, but we may find more information about your powers. I'm sure there are plenty of sci-fi books, or maybe some fantasy. Let's just see what they have." Yet as they came in, they found a surprise. "Hi Shenice! What are you doing here?"  
  
The girl forced a smile. "Oh, hi there Muse. I'm just doing some research for my parents. And what brings you here?'  
  
"You know, I like books. Oh hey, do you know Madelyn Spalding? Here Madelyn, this is Shenice. She's a friend of my cousin's friend."  
  
"Yeah," Shenice said with distaste. "I've heard of her."  
  
"Hey, maybe you two could be friends. You're the same age."  
  
Shenice rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah, sure, I've always dreamed of being friends with Madelyn."  
  
"Great! Madelyn, did you hear that? You got another friend."  
  
"Oh, for crying out--" Shenice spoke considerably louder than her library voice. "Do you know what sarcasm is?"  
  
"S-A-R-C-A-S-M, a cutting, often ironic remark."  
  
"Yeah, well that was huge sarcasm! I've never thought very favorably of Madelyn ever since she kidnapped Shebang that one time."  
  
The noise was starting to attract attention. Sharon Hawkins, who was looking up something on the computer catalog, glanced over. "Hey Adam, look who's here," she whispered.  
  
Adam looked up. "I knew she'd show up here! Don't worry baby, I'll take care of it." He gave Sharon a kiss on the cheek and slunk off.  
  
The Muse looked at Madelyn. "Why did you do that?"  
  
"I was trying to get to Static. He and I still have a score to settle. But that's not important now. Let's just find those books and get out of here." She pushed the Muse away.  
  
"Bye Shenice," the Muse said quietly.  
  
"Uh, yeah, so long." Shenice watched her go, and she said to herself, "So, that's what happened. Well, this is going to be interesting."  
  
"Let's look in the science fiction section first," the Muse suggested. "Hey, what's this book? It's shiny." She pulled it off the shelf. "Heh heh, hey Madelyn feel this cover. I've never seen a book cover this squishy."  
  
Madelyn squeezed the book, and for the first time that the Muse ever saw, she smiled and laughed.  
  
"There's no title, though. I wonder what it's about."  
  
She opened the book, and immediately Adam's head poked out from the pages. "Aha!" he said.  
  
The Muse shrieked and dropped the book. Everybody around her shushed her. "Sorry," the Muse bashfully apologized. Meanwhile, Adam transformed to his Rubberband Man uniform. "RB, what are you doing here?"  
  
"I had a feeling I'd find you here, M. Don't you know that Static and Gear are searching up and down for you?"  
  
"Why didn't they call me on my Shock Box?"  
  
"Why didn't YOU call THEM on your Shock Box?"  
  
"I . . . I . . . I, uh . . . uh . . . "  
  
"It's alright. They say some magnetic force or something is jamming your signal. You're not fiddling with it, are you?"  
  
"Honestly, I've had too much on my mind."  
  
"I see."  
  
"Oh, have you met Madelyn Spalding?" The Muse pulled the teenager over. "Madelyn, this Adam Evans, better known as Rubberband Man. You can call him RBM if that's too long for you."  
  
"I've heard of you," Adam answered. "I don't think we've met."  
  
Madelyn stared him down. "Go tell Static that I've got his precious Muse and the source of her power. If he wants her back, she's got to do what I say. Otherwise, Dakota's going to have one less superhero and a supervillain with a little more emphasis on the super."  
  
"Oh no, you're not going to hurt her anymore." But before he could move, Madelyn used her powers to tie him into a giant pretzel shape. "Hey! Ow!"  
  
"See what I can do?" Madelyn said. "Better not tell me what I can't."  
  
Sharon came up and helped untie him. Then Rubberband Man stretched his arm out, grabbed the Muse by the shoulder, and pulled the Muse back. "Come on M, you're coming back with me."  
  
"No, I'm staying with Madelyn," the Muse said.  
  
"You're just taking a dangerous risk. We all know your powers don't really come from that necklace."  
  
"That's not what this is about. She's never had a friend, and I'm trying to be one for her. She's like the princess in my game; she's under an evil spell. I can break it with kindness and friendship, and maybe she'll join our party. See, you can tell Gear I have learned something from playing those RPGs. Don't worry about me; I'll be fine. See you later RB." Before he could say anything else, she walked on. Adam looked up toward Shenice. She gave him one defiant glare and returned to her work.  
  
****************  
  
"Static, I found her!" Rubberband Man called up to Static once he found him.  
  
"Good work," Gear said. "Where is she?"  
  
"Well, you're not going to like this." He explained everything he saw.  
  
"Don't worry RBM," Static answered. "Madelyn's no huge threat. I bet pretty soon that she'll realize the necklace has nothing to do with the Muse's powers. Then, it'll be too late, and Madelyn will be a jailbird again."  
  
"Well, I am concerned about how M is interpreting the situation," Adam answered. "I think she's letting her guard down to be Madelyn's friend. M's never been good at picking up a lot of social cues. I've noticed it myself in our own conversations. There are a lot of times she can't tell when I'm joking or being sarcastic. I don't think she sees Madelyn's malicious intent."  
  
"You got a point. Gotta admire her courage, though. Now what was that you said was going on when you saw her?"  
  
"Well, there was this other girl yelling at her. I didn't recognize her. She's kinda short, and she had nice braids. She kinda looked like Shebang, but I'm not sure. I haven't seen her out of uniform, you know. Even if she was, she's not a lot of help. After she saw Madelyn with the Muse, the girl didn't lift a finger to help."  
  
Gear spoke up, "I think Muse was right. There is a young woman under an evil spell that she needs to break. Unfortunately, our Muse chose the wrong one. Here, call this number if you see her again, especially if she's in trouble. You won't get an answer from us. It will send a signal to Backpack that will alert us and trace its location. Don't help her. I got an idea."  
  
"Thanks. I'll do that."  
  
**************  
  
Madelyn and the Muse were sitting out on a park bench outside. "Look Madelyn, your power even has its own name. It's called tele . . . ki . . .nesis, or TK for short. Hey, maybe that could be your pretend name, TK. When you become a superhero, you'll want to go by something other than Madelyn Spalding."  
  
Madelyn was hardly listening to her. She was thinking of a new job that she was sure the Muse would not mess up.  
  
The Muse's stomach growled. "Oh my, I'm hungry. We haven't had lunch yet. You want to go to Burger Fool? I'm sure I can get something with the five dollars we have."  
  
"You're hungry?" Madelyn said with a suave smile. "Well, we don't have to pay for food. Why you just go to your hideout?"  
  
"Oh no, I couldn't . . . well maybe . . . alright." They flew together until the Muse pointed out the place.  
  
"You idiot!" Madelyn yelled as they landed. "This is Adam Evans' apartment. Everybody knows where that is. I want Static's hideout! And I want his secret identity as well as Gear's, Shebang's, and yours!"  
  
"I can't do that! I made a promise, compact, covenant, pledge, vow. I cannot tell anyone these things, not even Mommy. A promise, by definition, cannot be broken."  
  
Madelyn once again held up the pendant. "You will tell me, or you will never be a superhero again."  
  
"Sorry. You know, if you really are my friend, you could join us and become a superhero. Then maybe we will tell you our secret identities."  
  
The idea evidently did not appeal to Madelyn. Her eyes flashed. Her grip tightened around the pendant's chain. She spoke again through clenched teeth.  
  
"Tell me, or I will use your own powers against you."  
  
"You wouldn't. You couldn't."  
  
"Watch me." Her eyes glowed, and her hands shot a purple light toward the prism. The light magnified and shot in every direction. Then the ground shook, and the Muse fell into a freshly created, deep, rocky pit. Upon her fall, she heard a sickening crack and a sharp pain in the back of her head. Other than that, she did not feel badly hurt. Madelyn laughed as she looked down at the helpless Muse. She put the pendant around her own neck. "So much for our friendship. Who needs friends when you can have POWER?" She laughed heartily and left.  
  
"Magic," the Muse whispered. "Magic! Why is nothing happening? Where are my wings?" She reached up and discovered that the Magic Hat had a large crack in the back. "Oh no." She reached into her pocket for her Shock Box, but it was also broken. "Oh no!" The rocks looked too steep for her to climb up. She could only think of one other thing to do. She screamed, "HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP! HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!"  
  
Rubberband Man had noticed the new crater in his yard (he wasn't happy about it), and he already called the number Gear had given him. Static in turn contacted Shebang and told her they got a distress signal but as they were occupied with another one, they couldn't answer it. So Shebang went to the crater without hesitation. "Who's down there?" Shebang called down.  
  
"Oh Shebang! Am I happy to see you!"  
  
"Oh. Hey Muse," Shebang said in a dismal tone.  
  
"Hi. Can you help me out of here? My Magic Hat is broken, and I lost my wings."  
  
"Well, the mighty, powerful Muse has met her match, huh?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess you can say that."  
  
"Why don't you just climb up?"  
  
"I don't think I can."  
  
"Of course you can! You're the Muse; you can do anything!"  
  
Shebang heard the Muse trying to climb up and falling down again a couple of times. Then Shebang remembered her promise to Static, and she began to laugh. The more she thought about the Muse's predicament, the harder she laughed. But even though she was laughing hard, she wasn't laughing as hard as the laughter she was hearing in her ears. She stopped to hear if there was an echo, but when she stopped the echo continued. Then she realized she was not hearing laughter. The Muse was crying.  
  
"You too? What is so funny? Are you laughing at me? Why? Why won't you help me? I thought you liked me. I thought we were on the same team."  
  
It might have been a brief feeling of guilt, or maybe the Muse's charm really worked and Shebang was convicted. Either way, after hearing the Muse cry, Shebang leapt down, scooped up the girl, and jumped back out of the hole.  
  
"We are," was all she said.  
  
The Muse hugged Shebang. "Thank you. You answered my prayers."  
  
"Yeah, well, let's get you to the gas station."  
  
**************  
  
"It's just a crack," Gear said as he examined the Magic Hat. "Luckily, I have been working on a new invention to mend plastic. The circuitry isn't damaged terribly."  
  
"What about the Shock Box?" the Muse asked.  
  
"Girl, I've had to repair those so many times, it's not even funny."  
  
"I'm more worried about you," Static said. "How do you feel after that fall?"  
  
"Pretty sore," she nodded. "I don't hurt too much. I don't think I'm bleeding anywhere. Do you see?"  
  
"She's fine," Shebang said. "Remember, I had to carry her the whole way. I didn't see anything serious."  
  
"So when are you going to have the hat fixed?" the Muse asked Gear.  
  
"In a couple of hours, probably. Why?"  
  
"Well, we got to find Madelyn."  
  
"You want to get your necklace back?" Static said. "Let it go. She'll find out soon enough that this isn't the secret."  
  
"It's not that. I was her friend."  
  
"That's still on your mind?" Gear said. "She kidnapped you. She took advantage of you. She doesn't want to be your friend."  
  
"But she needs a friend because she doesn't have one. I will be one still, even if she doesn't want me."  
  
"Well, alright, we'll find her," Static said. "But you're not going alone this time. We're coming with you."  
  
"You want to come, Shebang?"  
  
Shebang shrugged. "Sure."  
  
"Let's talk about how we're going to do this," Static said. They planned out a strategy until the Magic Hat was ready. Then Gear searched for Madelyn with Backpack.  
  
****************  
  
Madelyn was sitting alone on a hill looking at the prism. The Muse came up the hill by herself. "Aha!" Madelyn said. "I was hoping I'd find you sooner or later. Tell me, how do you make this work? I can make my powers stronger, but I can't quite do it the way you do."  
  
"Give it back, please, and I'll show you," the Muse answered.  
  
"Uh-uh! I'm not falling for that."  
  
"Please."  
  
"Take one step closer to me, and I'll make a hole all the way down to China."  
  
"Please don't. We're friends, aren't we?"  
  
"That again? When are you going to learn? I don't want your friendship! I don't want to join your superhero group! I don't need friends!"  
  
"Is that so?" Static came out of hiding. "Don't you remember the election? Think about it. Why were you trying so hard to get elected?"  
  
"Because I wanted the power!"  
  
"I don't think so," Gear said. "I don't remember much being in your plan. To you, it was a huge popularity contest, wasn't it?"  
  
"You can't prove that!"  
  
"Well, we can assume that's why you made everybody into brain puppets."  
  
"Or why you tried to take over the Metabreed," Shebang added.  
  
"It's all about power!" Madelyn asserted.  
  
"And think about this," Static added. "You had to force those people into doing what you say. Here's somebody who's willing to give you friendship unconditionally. She likes you for who you are." He added under his breath, "Though it's anybody's guess why."  
  
Madelyn was silent. "You know what? You're right. Man, that's never happened at all in my life. Maybe I should take it." She stood up with her head bowed. "Muse, I'm . . . sorry. I just wanted to beat you at your own game." Then she grinned. "And maybe I still can."  
  
She looked at the pendant with glowing eyes, and it shattered.  
  
"Oh no!" Madelyn said. "That was a gift from a friend!"  
  
"I'm your friend now!"  
  
The Muse closed her eyes. "Magic," she whispered. Then all the shards returned to her hand. She closed her hand around them and then opened. The prism was whole once again.  
  
Madelyn was shocked. "How did you do that? You're powers--"  
  
"I never told you? My powers don't come from the necklace."  
  
"Then why did you never use them on me?"  
  
"Because I didn't want to."  
  
"Wow. You really were serious about this, weren't you? I got a lot to learn about this friendship thing."  
  
"Well, you can think it over in prison," Shebang said. She went up and overtook Madelyn. The other superheroes stood by if she needed anything, but it was really her moment.  
  
After they handed Madelyn over to the police, Gear remembered he had a job to do. He rehearsed again what he had practiced to say to Shebang, but then he overheard her speak to the Muse. "Muse, I have a confession to make. I've been feeling kinda jealous of you and how well you've been doing. I felt out of place. I know I seemed happy about it all, but I was really playin'. I shouldn't have felt that way. Static was right. We do have different strengths and weaknesses. It's cool. We need each other. I just want to say, I'm sorry and I always got your back if you need me."  
  
"OK," the Muse replied.  
  
"Give it here, girlfriend." She slapped a high five, nearly knocking the Muse over in the process. "Whoa! Don't know my own strength."  
  
Gear smiled. Maybe he didn't have to tell her just yet. Things were cool.  
  
***************  
  
"You're back here again too, huh?" Carmen Dillo said as the warden pushed Madelyn in.  
  
"Yeah, but it's ok. I didn't find the secret to her powers, but I got what I wanted. I had the upper hand, and I made a friend in the process."  
  
"Made a friend?" Tarmac said. "I don't think you ever had the upper hand, Madelyn. She won."  
  
Madelyn opened her mouth to protest, but then she thought again. "Oh man, you're right. I HATE THAT!" She screamed in anger loud enough for the whole prison to hear.  
  
Next Episode: Mmoatia--Anansi comes to visit and meets the Muse, who knows a thing or two about the king of storytelling. But there's trouble in the horizon. A supernatural foe from an African folktale will stop at nothing to get the Muse's power.  
  
I got to take a break for a few weeks. I have major papers due pretty soon, so I need time to work on them. 


	5. Mmoatia

OK, sorry it took so long to get this out. I got through school fine, and then I just wanted to catch my breath for a little while. Then I had computer problems. Those recent episodes of "Static Shock" really threw me off and upset me just a little bit. Something tells me the series is going to end sooner than I thought. Parts of my story are already AU, so it seems. But I'm trying to think of a way to use some of these recent details to my advantage, if I can. For instance, from now on let's just assume that Mr. Hawkins is in on the whole secret.  
  
Episode 5: Mmoatia  
  
"So there I was, riding on the train, looking out the window to the beautiful African savanna, when all of the sudden this leopard-man stood up and hijacked our ride!"  
  
Precious gasped, and she looked up at Virgil in wonder. "Was he a bang baby?"  
  
"How could he be? We were hundreds of thousands of miles away from Dakota, and I was pretty sure we were the only Dakota residents there."  
  
"But . . . it wouldn't be possible otherwise, would it?"  
  
Virgil laughed. "I know. I can't figure it out either. The only thing I can think of is that Africa doesn't follow the same rules we do in America, even when if comes to science and stuff. But if you think that's impossible, just wait. I haven't gotten to the best part yet."  
  
Just then, Mr. Hawkins popped in. "How are things going in here? You're finished sweeping up the common's area?"  
  
"Yes sir, we finished five minutes ago," Precious answered.  
  
"Good going. I'll see if I could find something else for you to do."  
  
"Pops, I was just telling Precious about the best day of my life in Africa. Times like this don't come along every day. She's going to have to go home soon."  
  
"It's ok, Virgil," Precious answered. "My service to the community center is important, and I got to do my work."  
  
"Hold on there," Mr. Hawkins said. "This story is important to my son. Virgil, you can finish, but after you're done, report to me."  
  
As he left, Precious looked innocently up at Virgil again. "What happened? Did Static drive the leopard-man away?"  
  
"How could he?" Virgil lowered his voice. "Dad and Sharon were right there, and Sharon's been onto me. Even if I got up, they would figure out my secret pretty easily."  
  
"Then what did you do?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Then did the leopard-man capture you?"  
  
"Nope. When everything looked hopeless, a guy dressed in black and carrying this big wooden stick stood and challenged the leopard-man. He called himself Anansi."  
  
Precious gasped again, a very huge gasp. "Anansi? THE Anansi? The Man- Spider? The King of All Stories, that Anansi?"  
  
"Yeah. How do you know so much about him?"  
  
"One night I couldn't sleep, and Mommy read me a story about a man with spider-like abilities named Anansi. He wanted to tell stories, but all the stories in the world belonged to a king who lived in the sky. So Anansi built a ladder out of webbing, and--"  
  
"Yeah, Anansi told me this story."  
  
"Well, I liked the story so much, and I thought if Anansi got all the stories in the world, there must be more stories about Anansi. So I looked in the library, and I found a whole book of them--Spider Stories. Some were funny, some were clever, but they were all so cool. I didn't know he was real. I thought he was just a storybook character."  
  
"He's real alright. In Africa, he's a superhero!" Virgil continued to tell Precious about all his adventures with Anansi. She hung on to every word.  
  
"That is amazing," she whispered. "I wish I could meet him."  
  
"Well, you never know. Maybe you'll save up enough money to go to Africa one day."  
  
"Yeah. Maybe I could become a missionary in Africa."  
  
"Or maybe you'll meet him sooner than that."  
  
The two kids turned to the doorway. Standing there was a man dressed in black from head to foot, except for a small picture of a red spider on his chest. Both Virgil and the Muse were at a loss for words, and their guest only replied with a smile.  
  
"Anansi," Precious whispered.  
  
"Hey man!" Virgil said as he walked up and gave his mentor a one-armed hug. "What brings you across the pond?"  
  
"I have been listening for news of you in the wind, my young friend, and I have heard stories of a young child who has powers much like my own."  
  
"You've found her, dawg. This is the Muse."  
  
The poor girl could not look him in the eye, and she stuttered terribly. "Um, um, uh, uh, uh, I, I, um, uh, I um . . . "  
  
"Loquacious, isn't she?" Anansi chuckled.  
  
"Oh, but she is," Virgil said. "In fact--Precious! Loquacious!"  
  
She immediately snapped out of it and responded, "L-O-Q-U-A-C-I-O-U-S, talkative, displaying a large vocabulary."  
  
"Ah, so it is as I have heard." Anansi knelt down and put his hand on the girl's shoulder. "Child, there is no need to fear me."  
  
Precious still couldn't look him in the eye. "But you-you-you, you're so- so . . . important."  
  
"Perhaps, but is not the mighty lion made of the same stuff as the humble muskrat? I am just a man, no more different than you."  
  
Precious just stared down at the floor and began to shift her weight from foot to foot.  
  
"I know what will put you at ease," Anansi said. "How would you like to hear a story?"  
  
Her eyes lit up. "A story from the man who owns all the stories in the world? I would love to! Would you please?"  
  
"Nothing would please me more. Sit."  
  
Just then, Virgil and Precious' Shock Boxes went off. "Oh wait, that would be Gear." Precious pulled hers out and answered. "Hi Gear."  
  
"Hey Muse," a hoarse voice replied over the Shock Box.  
  
"Hey bro, how you feeling?" Virgil said.  
  
"Well I--" Then there was a long string of very raspy coughs.  
  
"Okaaay, that answered my question."  
  
"Yeah," Gear replied. "It's not fair. Superheroes never get the common cold."  
  
"Maybe someday you'll invent a cure."  
  
"That would be sweet, wouldn't it? But anyway, Backpack just picked up a distress call. This is weird, it's a . . . grocery store disturbance."  
  
"Grocery store?"  
  
"Yeah, it's the Save a Dollar or Two downtown."  
  
"Do you know the nature of this disturbance?"  
  
"No, I couldn't tell. It's probably not a big deal. What serious criminal would attack a grocery store with such high surveillance?"  
  
"Alright, we're on it. Hey guess who's here? Remember Anansi?"  
  
"Man, my head hurts too hard to remember too far. Give him my regards."  
  
"Sure, feel better man." He switched it off and tossed Precious Magic Hat 2. "Come on, Muse. Anansi can tell you a story later. Hey, maybe you'd like to come with us."  
  
"I appreciate the invitation, but I think I shall remain here for now, and I would wish for my new young friend to stay with me."  
  
"But we got to do magic!" Precious said.  
  
"Static can take care of it himself. It is only a small store."  
  
"Are you sure? I think I would like you playing on our team as much as I would hearing your stor--"  
  
"Child," he said sternly, "let him go alone."  
  
Virgil was shocked. He had never heard that tone from Anansi before, and Anansi's face was filled with concern, maybe even fear. "Is something wrong?"  
  
"Not yet. Go."  
  
"Alright man. Maybe we'll fight together later."  
  
"Go!"  
  
"Alright man, see ya." Virgil left. Anansi sat down and smiled again.  
  
"What is it, Anansi?"  
  
"Oh, this is not the time for something so unpleasant. What would you like me to tell you first?"  
  
"Oh, tell me the story where your hat got so hot you made a dance to make it cool again. Or when you found that magic stone that made animals faint."  
  
Anansi laughed. "I will tell you these, and much more." He waved his wooden stick. The Magic Hat flashed several colors, almost as though it was in anticipation. Suddenly, the two of them were sitting on the African savanna, feeling a warm wind on their necks.  
  
"Wow, this feels so real."  
  
Anansi was just as amazed. His powers created good illusions, but never this good. It was almost as though her powers were working in succession with his to make the story come alive. Surely this girl was the one, which gave him all the more reason to protect her. "This story belongs to Kwaku Anansi, as do all stories."  
  
##################  
  
Static had expected this to be a minor robbery or teenagers making a mess of things. He was not prepared at all for what he saw. Canned goods were falling down by themselves, fruit was being thrown around, cash was swirling around the cash registers in a whirlwind, and any customers who were still around were running and screaming. Bottom line: everything was a big mess.  
  
Static made his voice sound on the loudspeaker, "Cleanup on aisle . . . uh, all of them." He flew down to one of the aisles to get a closer look. "A'ight, who's responsible for this mess?"  
  
He was answered by a pelting of eggs. Static wiped the yoke from his eyes and said, "Hey, I didn't ask for a free sample." He began to charge up but stopped. "Man, I smell like an omelet."  
  
Then some shaken up soda bottles exploded and soaked him. "Ugh! Diet! And this cannot be good for my hair. You're going to get it now!"  
  
Static kept trying to get the perpetrators, and he kept getting pelted with food. He tried even to strike everywhere with his powers, but the punishment would not stop. The strangest thing was that Static never saw his enemy. He wasn't sure if his foe was invisible or if he was just good at staying out of sight.  
  
"Man, this was tough," he said to himself.  
  
"Not for us," a voice whispered in his ear.  
  
Static turned around but saw no one. "Who's there?"  
  
"Oh, that's not important. I take it you're Static."  
  
"No, I'm André 3000 from Outkast."  
  
The voice was silent for a second. "Oh yes, you are the witty one are you? I was told you don't work alone anymore. Where are the others?"  
  
"That's none of your business."  
  
"You want us to stop torment your town? Send us that new little superhero, the Muse I believe she is called. Give us more of a challenge."  
  
"Or else?"  
  
"You'll never get rid of us." There was a small breeze by Virgil's ear, and the voice was gone.  
  
#####################  
  
"'People will do anything to disturb the peace these days,' the chief magistrate said. He sat down, and his footstool spoke, 'Yes, it's fantastic. Whoever heard of a talking yam?'"  
  
Anansi paused, expecting Precious to laugh, but she looked at him puzzled. "I don't understand. How could all of those lifeless objects without mouths, lungs, vocal chords or the mind to use them have the ability to speak?"  
  
"Ah, that is a question," Anansi answered. "When I first heard it, I laughed so hard at the ending that I forgot to ask. I like to think that such objects do have these things, but they only use them when they want to. This day was just one of those few times they decided to talk."  
  
"Then how come we don't see them?"  
  
"Oh, they are hidden."  
  
"Is it a spell that hides these parts?"  
  
"Yes, it is. And there is a special kind of people who can cast that spell- -Mmoatia's people."  
  
"Who is Mmoatia?"  
  
"Ah, there lies another tale."  
  
"Can you please tell it to me?"  
  
"Absolutely." Just then, Static came back in.  
  
"My goodness, Static, what happened? Were you attacked by a dumpster?" Precious asked.  
  
"That's what it feels like," he muttered. "Who knows how long this is going to take to wash out?"  
  
"I can help you look better, my friend." Anansi stood and held up his walking stick that started to glow.  
  
Precious, though, beat him to it. She swiftly turned around and said, "Magic!" She immediately transformed. She pointed to Static, the lights of her magic hat flashed brilliantly, and all the gunk on his costume and in his hair came off and fell at his feet.  
  
"Thanks Muse," Static sighed. "That feels a little better."  
  
Anansi was astounded. "How did you do that?"  
  
"It's my power. Whatever I think happens."  
  
"She can make her imagination come to life, like you can. Yet with the Muse, it's not just an illusion. It's real," Static explained.  
  
"So it is true," Anansi whispered.  
  
"What?" the Muse asked.  
  
"Nothing. So Static, what did you encounter that made such a mess?"  
  
"Some kind of invisible menace. All this stuff seemed to be thrown at me all by themselves. I almost wish Gear was well so he could use the infrared option on Backpack and revealed the culprit. I heard this voice in my ear asking me for a greater challenge. In fact, it was asking for you."  
  
Anansi leapt up. "She is here! I had hoped I would beat her. Oh no."  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"We must get out of here, now. The child is in danger."  
  
"What's going on?" the Muse asked.  
  
"No time. Let's go."  
  
"Alright," Static said with a shrug as he pulled out his flying disk. "Hop on."  
  
"No! No flying! She'll see us!"  
  
"Okayyyyyy."  
  
"Here. Hold my hand, both of you. I think I can pull off a trick that may fool her." They held hands. Anansi closed his eyes, said something under his breath, and vanished.  
  
"Anansi? Static?" the Muse asked. "Where are you?"  
  
"Right here," Static's voice replied, but he was no where to be seen. "Where'd you go?"  
  
The Muse gasped. "I'm invisible."  
  
"Yes," Anansi answered.  
  
"Wow, I've always wanted to be invisible."  
  
"I hardly do this trick because it is troubling to concentrate on. I can't keep it up for long. Now, quickly get us to a place where we can hide."  
  
"HQ?" the Muse suggested.  
  
"Sounds good to me," Static answered. The three ran for the door. The Muse found it hard not to laugh at things becoming disturbed seemingly by themselves as they passed by. They made it to the gas station, and Anansi made everyone visible again.  
  
"Good idea, bringing us here," Anansi said. "The gasoline smell will drive her away."  
  
"Right," Static said. "So, can you tell us who we're running from?"  
  
Anansi sat down and looked at them seriously. "Mmoatia, the fairy who no men see," he whispered.  
  
Static burst out laughing and fell over. "Yeah, did she bring Santa's elves with her?"  
  
"If this were a joke, I would be laughing with you, Static," Anansi replied. "But look at me. I am not even smiling."  
  
Static promptly stopped. "So Mmoatia is a fairy?" the Muse asked. "I thought fairies weren't real."  
  
"Oh, they are real, but they stay out of sight and out of trouble most of the time," Anansi answered.  
  
"Fairies are the last thing I'd think when I'd think of Africa," Static brought up. "I thought that was more of a European thing."  
  
"African fairies are more realistic than any portrayed in 'fairy tales' from Europe. They do not bring good luck or grant people wishes. They are very mischievous."  
  
"Weren't you just about to tell me the story of Mmoatia?" the Muse asked.  
  
"Yes. You need to hear it now. Sit." He waved his walking stick, and the scenery around them changed. The two young superheroes watched the story unfold before them  
  
"Many years ago, fairies roamed freely among men. They loved to use their magic powers to play tricks. The fairies were all very clever and kept themselves well hidden. Yet none were cleverer than Mmoatia, their leader. She was almost always invisible. Her tricks caused much damage and grief.  
  
"Kwaku Anansi had enough of her trickery. He felt he could stop Mmoatia if he managed to trick her. So he made a doll out of sticky gum from trees. He tied a vine to the back, and he prepared a bowl of yams, for he had heard that Mmoatia could never resist this dish. Then he hid and waited.  
  
"In the afternoon, Mmoatia come a'dancing into the forest. She saw the gum baby, and she say, 'I am hungry. Can I have your yams?' Anansi pulled the vine to make the gum baby nod. Mmoatia eagerly ate all the yams. 'Oh, thank you, thank you, gum baby.' But the gum baby did not stir. Mmoatia became angry. 'Do you not answer me when I say thank you?' The gum baby was silent. 'If you do not answer me, I will slap you.' The gum baby was still silent, so Mmoatia slapped the doll hard. Her hand became stuck fast. 'Let go of my hand or I will slap you with my other hand!' Mmoatia slapped the gum baby with her other hand, and it was stuck. 'Let go of my hands, or I will kick you!' Mmoatia kicked the gum baby, and soon her feet were stuck.  
  
"Then Anansi came out of hiding. 'Foolish Mmoatia, I have outsmarted you.' She recognized that she had been outsmarted, and she promised not to cause trouble anymore. Yet as time went on, Mmoatia forgot her promise. She wanted to outsmart Anansi so that her people could cause trouble once more. Anansi always got the better of her. So she had been looking for an alternative. She has tried to steal my powers, unsuccessfully of course. But now, she has heard of you, a defenseless, innocent child with powers like mine, even better. She has come here to take your powers by any means necessary. She will even drink your blood or rob you of your mind in order to get your powers."  
  
The visions began to fade. "Well, she's going to be fine," Static answered. "We'll protect her."  
  
"Mmoatia's tricks are wily. It will not be as easy as you think."  
  
"But this is easy!" the Muse answered. "All we have to do is retell the story."  
  
Anansi and Static looked at her and said in unison, "Retell the story?"  
  
"Yeah. I have an idea."  
  
###############  
  
An hour later, the Muse appeared on the roof of Save a Dollar or Two. She sat and waited.  
  
"There you are Muse," a voice said by her ear.  
  
"Mmoatia?" the Muse asked.  
  
"So you know of me?"  
  
"I've heard of you in a story. Could you do me one favor? Could make yourself visible?"  
  
"I suppose I could for this once." There was a shudder in the air, and a little person appeared right in front of the Muse's nose. She wore a very brightly colorful dress and a matching turban. Her little wings were clear. She had dark, smooth skin and the regal presence of a queen.  
  
"You're a very pretty fairy. I don't know why you're not visible more often."  
  
"Thank you. You should be proud child. Your power will rest in this vessel." Mmoatia flew in closer to bite the Muse's neck.  
  
Suddenly, the Muse was surrounded by electricity. Mmoatia couldn't move. Static came out of hiding from behind the Muse. "Stick ya cause's she's stuck on you!"  
  
"Looks a little familiar, doesn't it?" Anansi said as he came out of hiding.  
  
"Anansi!" Mmoatia growled. "Not this time!" She whispered something and broke free. Then she raised her hands high above her head and shrieked something. Immediately, a whole army of fairies appeared around her. "Get the girl!" she ordered.  
  
"Stop!" the Muse ordered. Several fairies were frozen in their tracks, but some were able to break free. Static used his powers to trap many of the oncoming fairies using his powers. The Muse and Anansi were quickly causing illusions to stop the fairy army, and they were successful for the most part. Soon, due to their efforts, they were able to subdue all the fairies except for Mmoatia.  
  
"Well done, Muse," Mmoatia remarked. "You are much more powerful than I have heard, but I am powerful as well." She cast a spell that caused several miscellaneous objects to take a life of their own and fly toward the Muse.  
  
"Ready for it this time!" Static used his powers to knock them back. "Hey ya!" he cheered.  
  
Meanwhile, Anansi came up behind the Muse. "Make no sudden moves," he instructed. He waved his walking stick above her head, and several Muses appeared in a circle around Mmoatia. "You want the Muse? Good luck finding her."  
  
"Ah, this trick Anansi," Mmoatia chuckled. "I'm ready for this one." She cast a spell, and suddenly one of the Muses started hiccuping. "Ah ha!"  
  
"That was quite clever," the Muse said.  
  
"It was, wasn't it?"  
  
"I'm not very clever myself, so maybe taking my blood isn't the answer for you."  
  
"It isn't? Then I'll go for Anansi, or perhaps this young man here. He may not be a challenge, but he is witty and powerful."  
  
"Or maybe you can use your already powerful magic for something other than mischief."  
  
"Other than mischief? I've never though of that." Mmoatia looked thoughtful, and then finally she said, "You Americans have an expression-- Nah!" She dived toward the Muse, but as she reached the neck, the Muse disappeared. Before Mmoatia could turn around, the real Muse caught her in her hands, like a firefly. "Hey! Let me go!" Mmoatia screamed. She started yelling something in a different language.  
  
When the Muse removed her hands the fairy was trapped in a little bubble. She blew it toward Anansi. "Thank you for your help. I hope you can do something to situate her."  
  
"Yes. I will put her and her people where they cannot harm anyone."  
  
####################  
  
It was the end of the day. Anansi had everything gathered and was read to head back to his home. "It was good to see you again, man," Static said.  
  
"Yes, Mr. Anansi, it was a thrill," Precious said quietly. "I'll miss you, but I liked working with you."  
  
"Oh, I'm not leaving just yet."  
  
"You're not?" Static asked.  
  
"You still have stories to tell me?" Precious asked anxiously.  
  
"Actually, I was wondering if you could tell me a story," Anansi said.  
  
"What?" Precious asked. "Why me? I couldn't tell you any stories that you don't already know."  
  
"That's not quite true. A story fits differently in every person's mouth, and when it escapes it is often an entirely different creature."  
  
"Oh, I see, I think."  
  
"Here, you can have my storytelling stick to make you feel more confident." Anansi gave her the stick and sat down. "Whenever you're ready."  
  
Precious felt amazed and humbled to be in this position. It took a while to get over the shock, and then she had to think of what to tell. "OK, I think I have one. Here goes."  
  
Next Episode: Sibling Rivalry--Aunt Claire is becoming nosy. She wants to know what Richie and Virgil are doing to her child. In the process she meets Robert Hawkins, and he seems to be interested in her. Plus, Precious gets caught in the middle of a Virgil-Sharon battle of the wits for the first time. And oh yeah, Omnaura is back. By the way, I'm sorry I hurried through this one. I never really had a clear vision of the end, and ideas for this upcoming story bombarded me out of nowhere. 


	6. Sibling Rivalry

Episode 6: Sibling Rivalry  
  
Very Important Note--I may take a few risks in this story to explore some issues that I feel cannot be ignored. I want to make it extremely clear that I do not mean to offend anyone. I am not a racist. I love all cultures. I may be ignorant about some things, and if that is apparent I apologize in advance. Once again, I do not intend any harm. Are we clear? Good.  
  
Just a couple of other things: I don't know if the title fits. I just made it the title because it's the issue that seems to come back to me every time I think of this. Like I said before, this is probably going to end up pretty sappy. I got some action in here that has little to do with the main plot, but I hope you still think it's cool. So sorry it took so long to get this up. The story turned out a lot longer than I intended, and a couple of other things kept me from writing time, including computer problems. But enough of this rambling. Let's go.  
  
#################  
  
It was early June of the Muse's third summer. As usual, her mother Claire came to the Foleys' place to drop her daughter off. But this time was different.  
  
"Hey V, can you come over sometime this afternoon? Aunt Claire wants to talk to you," Richie said over the phone.  
  
"Really? What about?"  
  
"She won't say."  
  
"Alright. I'll be over as soon as I can."  
  
Virgil came over and found Precious' mother sitting alone in the den. "Hey Mrs. L. How's it going?"  
  
"Hi Virgil. It's good to see you again, but you can call me Mrs.--uh, that is Miss F. if you want to."  
  
Virgil glanced over at her hand and noticed that her wedding ring was gone. "Oh. I'm . . . I'm sorry."  
  
"It's alright. Llewellyn was a little hard to spell anyway." She tried to laugh, but Virgil could plainly hear her choke back tears.  
  
"So, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?"  
  
"I just wanted to say thank you for everything you've done with my daughter. She's absolutely crazy about you, and I can understand why. Every time I see you, you seem like such a bright and friendly young man. You're really a delight to be with."  
  
Virgil smiled and laughed. "Shucks, Miss F., I'm flattered, and I don't flatter easily. She's a great girl too. She's one of the smartest people I know, next to Richie of course. We both love seeing her grow."  
  
"Well that's partly what this is about. I know Richie's family, so I know where his charm comes from." (She added in a playful whisper, "His mother." Virgil laughed.) "I hope I'm not being rude, but could I please meet your parents? I just want to shake their hands, you know, and say thank you for raising such a delightful young man."  
  
"Sure," Virgil nodded. "Pops would love to meet to meet you."  
  
Claire snickered. "'Pops.' That's cute. I don't think I've ever heard that used for a father. He is your father, right?"  
  
"Uh, yeah. In fact, if you're not busy, I could take you to meet him right now."  
  
"Are you sure he won't mind?"  
  
"He works at the Community Center, so he's used to people walking in. He's a social worker. He loves talking to people, and he's always been impressed with Precious. I'm sure he'd be glad to meet you."  
  
"Well, that's great. Sure, as soon as you can, I'm ready."  
  
"OK, the Community Center isn't far."  
  
They talked more in the car. "So, who all's in your family?" Aunt Claire asked.  
  
"Just me, Pops, and my older sister Sharon."  
  
"Is she as charming as you?"  
  
"Nah, I think the Hawkins charm is exclusively on the male side."  
  
"Forgive me for prying, but where is your mother?"  
  
Virgil looked out the window as he said softly, "In Heaven, I believe."  
  
"Oh, Virgil, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize."  
  
"It's alright. Take this turn here." They didn't talk much after that.  
  
Once they got there, they went back into the office area where Mr. Hawkins was sitting at his desk. "Virgil! Son, what a surprise!" he said as he stood.  
  
"And I got an even bigger one, Pops. This is Precious' mom, and she wants to meet you."  
  
He shook her hand. "Robert Hawkins. Pleased to meet you."  
  
"The pleasure is mine, sir. I'm Claire Foley."  
  
"Foley? You're related to Richie Foley?"  
  
"Yes, his father Sean is my big brother."  
  
"Is he?" he answered darkly.  
  
"Don't worry. The two of us are like night and day. I've come to thank you for raising such a delightful young man. He has such an amazing impact on my daughter, and I believe I have you to thank."  
  
"Well, your welcome. I can't take all the credit. Little Precious is a very kind, polite young girl. I know she doesn't get that side from Virgil." They went on like this for quite some time, until Mr. Hawkins said very suddenly, "Say, how would you like to come over to our house for dinner? You can meet my whole family properly, and we can talk more there. I make a mean spaghetti."  
  
"Well, I do like spaghetti. Would you mind if I bring my daughter with me?"  
  
"Of course, bring her along! I don't think she's ever visited the Hawkins homestead."  
  
A confused look crossed Claire's face. "Yes she has. At least she talks about it a lot."  
  
"Oh!" Mr. Hawkins chuckled nervously and scratched his head. "Oh yes, now I remember. Well, I don't think she's had dinner with us, and I don't think she knows me or my daughter very well."  
  
"This is a very kind offer, Robert, and I would be delighted to visit your home. But I'm only going to be here for a week, so--"  
  
"Well, why don't you come over tomorrow night?"  
  
"Huh? Are you sure?"  
  
"Absolutely. Unless . . . you don't have any plans already?"  
  
"Not to my knowledge, no. But it is a Friday night. I'll just check in with Sean and Maggie, and I'll call you to let you know where I stand. Richie knows your number. I'm sure it will be fine though. How should we dress?"  
  
"Oh nothing too fancy, dress casual."  
  
"Great, and once again thank you. This is so unbelievably kind, and we're going to make this work out. I'd love to meet your family."  
  
"Alright, see you then."  
  
She left and spotted Virgil waiting just outside the office door. "Oh, Virgil, that's all I needed from you. If you want to go home or stay here with your father, you can go on."  
  
"OK." A question mulled in Virgil's mind that he didn't like and he didn't want to ask, but finally he couldn't stand it. "Miss F., I'm just curious, how are you going to tell Mr. F. about this?"  
  
"Mr.--oh, Sean. I'll try to handle it delicately. I have a tendency to discuss these matters in defiance, because I do not agree with him at all. I'll tell him I'm going to visit a friend. That should be enough for him. The only thing that will hold me back is if he has something planned for tomorrow night, and he probably does. It's a Friday after all. Maybe I won't have to tell him. Maybe he'll work late."  
  
"Maybe."  
  
"Don't worry about it, Virgil. I've had experience."  
  
"OK, I trust you."  
  
After she and Virgil went on, Mr. Hawkins quickly called Sharon's cellphone. "Sharon? I just wanted to tell you that you're getting a break tomorrow night if everything works out. I'm going to cook spaghetti."  
  
"Spaghetti?" she answered. "But . . . you haven't cooked spaghetti since . . . Mom . . ."  
  
"Yes, honey, I know, but I've just been realizing how much I missed cooking that, and if I don't practice I won't be able to pass it on to you or Virgil. Besides, we're having guests."  
  
"Guests? Have you met someone?"  
  
"I just met the mother of that autistic girl who's Virgil's friend. Never realized she was Richie Foley's cousin."  
  
"Oh yeah, Professor Temple told me about her. I've always wanted to meet that girl, just to see what autism is like. He's told me that she's improved due to some kind of invention."  
  
"Well, she and her mother are coming over soon. Claire wanted obviously to talk about a lot of things, and I thought she would be more comfortable at home. You can make dessert if you want."  
  
"OK. There has been this chocolate mousse recipe that I've wanted to try for a while."  
  
"Sounds great. We'll get everything finalized as it gets closer to time. Of course, we have to make sure the house stays clean."  
  
"No problem. I'll wash the good china tonight and vacuum."  
  
"Great. See you later."  
  
##################  
  
She once had it all. Every piece of information, every instrument of power was once at her disposal. Yet all at once, it was taken. Now, her mind felt so empty. It seemed like forever that she had been in this hospital room while the doctors in lab coats prodded and scanned her brain. They always spoke in whispers, but she could hear them.  
  
"There's nothing more that we can do. There are still parts of her brain that will remain damaged."  
  
"Can you elaborate on that doctor?" (There was something about that voice that sounded familiar.)  
  
"For one thing, we've monitored her every time she slept, and she has never registered a single EEG wave."  
  
"Meaning--?"  
  
"She doesn't dream."  
  
"That's impossible!"  
  
"I know. We're beginning to think that imaginative side of her brain will never operate again."  
  
"What else is new?" (That sarcastic voice, she knew she knew it.)  
  
"It effects her decision making. It's focused either on her emotion or logic, usually her emotion. Therefore her judgment is rather erratic."  
  
"Yet you think she is suitable to return to society?"  
  
"Since she stole her own research, police have found no reason to file a warrant for her arrest. She's too competent to be sent to a mental institution. We can't keep her here; as I have said, there is nothing more we can do."  
  
"I suggest you put her under surveillance. Her research does not need to be resurrected again. If she does anything suspicious, inform me immediately." (She knew that voice! It was . . . it was . . .it started with an A . . . she couldn't remember . . .)  
  
Her head hurt trying to remember. The doctors helped her to her feet and put a band around her arm. They explained what it was for, but she hardly listened. She remembered a few thoughts, and she repeated them over and over in her head.  
  
"I must get my research. I must obtain once more the knowledge that I once held. And I must have my revenge."  
  
At her first opportunity, she turned on the local news channel. As she had hoped, memories began to return to her. "Static. Yes. He did this to me. I know who he is. I had discovered it, oh but why can't I remember? Did I not write this down?" She searched her notes and papers, but all she could find was a note that read, "Robert Hawkins, Freeman Community Center." "I must have reached Static through this man somehow. He must be close to Static. I will use him again."  
  
Then she heard Shelly Sandoval say, "Today several citizens of Dakota saw the Muse on patrol. This will be the third year that the superhero has visited to help all our crime fighters with her ability to alter reality with her mind. Of course, she was not effected by the recent metahuman cure because she was out of town and, according to Static and Gear, she is not a bang baby."  
  
The woman balked at the footage shown of the Muse. She was sure she had never seen the girl before. It was not a memory relapse either. She had concentrated so hard on discovering Static's identity she had hardly noticed or cared about the other superheroes' situations. "She's just like me."  
  
Suddenly, a malicious smile crossed her face. A plan already began to sprout in her head. "I must find out all I can about that girl. She will be exactly what I need. I will use her to gain back the knowledge that once was all mine, and I will rediscover my power until Omnaura reigns supreme!"  
  
#####################  
  
Aunt Claire knocked on the door. Mr. Hawkins answered, "Welcome, come in!"  
  
"Oh my!" Aunt Claire looked at Mr. Hawkins' suit and tie and the children's similar formal attire and then looked down embarrassed at her tie-die jumper and Precious' Shrek and Fiona T-shirt and jeans. "I'm sorry, I thought you meant 'dress casually.' We'll go back and get something nicer."  
  
"Nonsense. You two are fine. We just wanted to look nice for you."  
  
"Oh, are you sure? I don't want to be rude."  
  
"Please, come in."  
  
"Yeah, I like that Miss F.," Virgil added.  
  
"Thank you, Virgil," Claire said as she came in. "My goodness, this is a nice house. Has a sort of modern feel to it. I haven't seen something like this before." She turned to a young lady sitting on the couch. "You must be Sharon."  
  
"Yes. And you're Claire Foley? I'm pleased to meet you. I study psychology at college, and I've been interested in meeting your daughter for a very long time."  
  
"Really? And how did you know about my little girl?"  
  
"I work for Dr. Temple. He's my abnormal psychology professor."  
  
"My, isn't this a small world."  
  
Sharon talked to Aunt Claire for several minutes, asking her questions about what it has been like raising an autistic child. Meanwhile, Virgil took Precious up to his room, and they talked.  
  
"So how was school this year?" he asked.  
  
"It was good. Speaking about school, I've been learning some things lately that made me ponder a few questions. Do you mind if I ask them to you?"  
  
"That's what I'm here for! Shoot."  
  
"OK. Why is it that you short out when you get wet?"  
  
"Because, contrary to popular belief, water does not conduct electricity."  
  
"Yet, but salt water does."  
  
"Uh, I'm hardly ever doused with anything besides fresh water."  
  
"But when fresh water touches your skin, it mixes with natural minerals on your skin and the salt in your sweat so it becomes salt water, and salt water does conduct electricity. That's why it's not safe to listen to the radio when you're taking a bath. The radio could fall in and electrocute you. So theoretically, shouldn't your powers become even stronger when you become wet?"  
  
Virgil assumed "The Thinker's" pose. "Wow, I never thought about that. Maybe I should up the salt content in my diet. Pops won't like it, but maybe he'll let me do it if it has to do with my powers. I'll think about it more. Next question?"  
  
"Many of your opponents protect themselves with wood when they go up against you because they say that electricity has no power over wood. But if that's true, why do so many trees get struck by lightning?"  
  
"Good question. I'm sure Gear would know for sure. That's a good consideration though. We might be able to conquer that barrier with this kind of knowledge. What else?"  
  
"This is the last one, and it's a personal question. What's it like to have a sister?"  
  
Virgil laughed. The phrase "A living nightmare" was on the tip of his tongue, but then he remembered some little events where that wasn't true. Sometimes Sharon was all right. Sure, that was once in a blue moon, but still. "It has its ups and downs, pretty much like everything else in life," he finally answered.  
  
"Sharon seems nice. I've never really met her. I've only seen her when she's out with Adam, and then I'm in the guise of the Muse. Is she really nice?"  
  
"Well, uh, you're going to see what she's like firsthand actually."  
  
"Oh, that's right." She stood and looked out his window. "I always liked your house. See, I was just wondering because I've always wanted a brother or a sister. Mommy says I'm enough, maybe more than enough, but sometimes I just wish I had someone to look after me. Nobody I know has one. Of course, Richie can't say anything about it."  
  
"Being an only child is good too. Don't ever feel bad about what you are."  
  
"OK."  
  
That's when Mr. Hawkins called them down for supper. Everybody must have been very hungry because after the prayer, everyone was silent.  
  
"Oh Robert, this spaghetti is great!" Claire finally said. "I don't think anybody can make it this good. I must have the recipe."  
  
"Uh-uh," Mr. Hawkins replied shaking his head. "Hawkins family secret."  
  
"Oh, a secret recipe. My mother was never much of a cook, so we have very few of those."  
  
"I like the bread," Precious said.  
  
"Well, I got that from the store," Mr. Hawkins replied. "No secrets there."  
  
Aunt Claire laughed.  
  
"So, Claire what is it you do for a living?"  
  
Aunt Claire looked down and muttered, "I'm a hair stylist."  
  
"You're not satisfied?"  
  
"Well, I can't say that. It puts food on the table, and a little more."  
  
"But you almost sound ashamed."  
  
"I don't know why you would be," Sharon said. "My friends and I all love to know someone who knows all there is to know about hair."  
  
"'Cause she don't know any, as you can see," Virgil quipped.  
  
Precious dropped her piece of French bread in shock. "Virgil!"  
  
"Look who's talking, Mr. Fried Dread!" Sharon sneered.  
  
"Sharon!" Precious cried in shock again.  
  
"Alright you two, that's enough," Robert Hawkins broke in.  
  
"Sorry, sir," Virgil and Sharon replied in unison.  
  
"Now, you were saying?"  
  
"It's not that I don't enjoy my job, but I was never really expecting to work in the first place. I married out of my third year of college. I decided I wanted to be a homemaker, and maybe a songwriter on the side. I wanted to show America that the family doesn't need two paychecks to survive. Of course, I wasn't expecting for what happened to happen. Suddenly, I was alone, and we had nothing. So I went to beauty school. It was quick and cheap. I do well at what I do, but I wish I could do something more with my life. I want to go back and get that last year of college, or maybe even go to law school, but I have neither the time nor the money. Plus, I'm really getting tired of the stereotypes some of our customers have about us. I get the impression of those stereotypes nearly every time, that I'm poor or unintelligent. Those who know about Precious' condition think that she is a super-genius. And there are so many more that I don't even want to talk about. I don't mean anything offensive, but I believe that you all can see where I'm coming from."  
  
"Absolutely," Mr. Hawkins replied nodding his head. "So, you said you were from Metropolis?"  
  
"That's right."  
  
"Hmmm, I know some people from there. Maybe I can help you."  
  
"Oh, it's ok."  
  
"No, it would be my pleasure."  
  
"Well, that is nice of you."  
  
"Metropolis," Virgil said. "That's Superman's hometown, isn't it? Do you get much superhero action down there?"  
  
"Not much, and certainly not as much as you guys get here, what with Static and Gear and that new one I haven't seen yet--which one was that Precious?"  
  
"The Muse," she replied.  
  
"Yes, the Muse. I've heard a lot of good things about that one. So, what do you guys know about these superheroes?"  
  
The following pause was not just a little uncomfortable. Finally, Mr. Hawkins spoke up. "Well, I've never been too happy with the bang baby situation. Even Static made me uncomfortable for a while. But he continues to prove himself, and we've learned to be safe with him around. The only thing I've really disapprove of is his tremendous ego."  
  
"It's a disease," Sharon said. "He got it from Virgil!"  
  
"And Virgil got it from you!" Virgil playfully snapped at her.  
  
"Stop it, please stop it," Precious muttered.  
  
"Sorry," Virgil quietly apologized.  
  
"Well, whoever gave it to him, I'm thankful for the Muse. She's done a good job of keeping that in check. I'd daresay that the Muse is Static's role model."  
  
"Precious doesn't emulate his ego," Claire observed, "so I think he's a good role model for her. He seems very friendly and witty. She's get to see him a lot when she stays over here, right Virgil?"  
  
"Oh yeah. She sees him almost every day on patrol. Even if she just catches a glimpse of him, it really makes her happy."  
  
"I gotta say, Robert, your son somehow knows what to do with my girl. He and Richie have brought her out of a dark place that I thought she would never escape. It's almost miraculous."  
  
"Virgil's involved?" Sharon scoffed. "Forget the 'almost.' It is a miracle."  
  
"One more than you've ever done!" Virgil replied.  
  
Precious pushed her plate out of the way. "Mr. Hawkins, may I please be excused?"  
  
"Alright. You don't want dessert?" he asked.  
  
"No, thank you, I'm not hungry!" she replied after grabbing another slice of French bread and running out the door.  
  
"We'll talk about this later," Mr. Hawkins said sternly to his children.  
  
They continued to talk for several minutes. Then everybody was done with the spaghetti, and Sharon brought out the dessert. Yet just as Virgil was starting to enjoy it, he started to hear crying from the upstairs. Virgil sighed. "I'll go talk to her."  
  
"Please do," Mr. Hawkins said.  
  
Virgil found Precious in his room, sitting at his desk with her head buried in her arms. "Precious? Look, I'm sorry we've upset you. Me and my sister, we bug each other so much our tiffs are almost second nature. We should have stopped."  
  
Precious looked up at him. "Why are you so mean to her?"  
  
"Mean? Me? No, you got it all wrong. I'm not mean. An annoying little snot maybe, but--"  
  
"Don't you love her?"  
  
"WELL, OF COURSE I DO!" But then he added in a whisper, "But don't let it get around."  
  
"Why not? If you love her, you have to show it. Love is being nice, isn't it?"  
  
"Hey, I'm nice to her. I've gotten her out of trouble a few times."  
  
"Why don't you do it more? Sharon is Adam's girlfriend. Adam's my friend, so Sharon's my friend too. So when you say such mean things, you say them to me too."  
  
"Hey, you don't understand. It's all in fun. She knows that. I really don't mean the things I say."  
  
"Then you're lying to her?"  
  
"No! I'm challenging her. Truth be told, I think she likes our bouts. It keeps both of our wits razor sharp. Look, Sharon's a great girl. Next to you and Richie, she's the smartest person I know. She's helped me a lot when I've been going through problems because she's able to help me understand what's going on. I'm not too wild about her cooking, but I am grateful when she takes up my chores when I'm busy with, uh, other responsibilities." He winked. Precious began to wipe her tears, and she smiled just a little bit. Virgil looked like he was going to say more, but then the door knocked and Sharon came in. "Speak of the devil." Precious shot Virgil a hurtful glance. "No, it's an expression! It's ok."  
  
Sharon looked like she had a comeback, but she let it go. "Are we doing ok in here? I brought you some dessert, Precious. I know you said you weren't hungry, but I thought you'd like it. I made it myself."  
  
"I could tell," Virgil smirked, but then he quickly added, "But it was good! You can't go wrong with all that chocolate and whipped cream."  
  
"OK, Mr. Food Critic, if you're just about done, could you please clean the kitchen? Dad and Miss Foley are talking, and I got a pretty hefty homework load."  
  
"Homework? In June?"  
  
"Hey, in college summer school isn't always for delinquents."  
  
"Oh, I see. I'll take care of it." He patted Precious' shoulder and left.  
  
Sharon handed Precious the little plate. "Are you doing ok, Honey?" she asked.  
  
"Was what Virgil saying true? Do you really like your fights?" Precious asked.  
  
"Well, it's no walk in the park, but yeah it's ok. You probably don't understand because you're an only child. See, sibling rivalry is inevitable. It's part of growing up. I mean, it could be a lot worse. I've counseled some kids that hit each other all the time. Virgil doesn't pull pranks on me anymore. He used to do that when we were younger. Mom put a stop to that. I guess we've learned to handle it pretty well, but we can always do better."  
  
"I don't understand. Why is it inevitable?"  
  
"That's a pretty complex issue. Usually, it's like a power struggle. I don't know if I can explain it to you. Just understand that even when I fight Virgil, I like him a lot." Sharon handed her a tissue and looked at the girl's shirt. "So, you like Shrek?"  
  
"Yeah. I have all the movies. I got ideas for a story about Shrek and his son."  
  
"Cool. Shrek is funny. Well, I got to get to work. You're mother is probably going to be a while, and I think she and Dad want to be alone. You want to stay in here, or maybe you'd like to come with me in my room and listen to music? I got Usher, Alicia Keys, Seal, Stringer . . ."  
  
"Do you have anything I can read?"  
  
"Not much I'm afraid. Most of my books are for school, and they're pretty boring. But you're free to see what I have." Sharon led Precious to her room.  
  
Meanwhile, as Virgil entered the kitchen, he saw his dessert still on the table. "Well, let's take care of some unfinished business first." He started shoving spoonfuls of chocolate in his mouth, and he could just barely hear his father and Miss Foley in the other room.  
  
"I apologize how my children were acting tonight. Compared to how polite your girl was, I must have turned out looking pretty bad."  
  
"Oh no, don't think that. I'm sorry she got so overworked. I feel confident that your son said just the right thing. Speaking of which, I have a question I need to ask you. I tried to ask you when we first met over at the community center, but I didn't get the chance."  
  
"Go ahead. I'll do my best to answer."  
  
"What exactly is Virgil doing with my daughter?"  
  
Virgil choked on a nut and dropped his spoon. So, that's what this whole thing was about. This wasn't good. Mr. Hawkins was a truthful man, and he knew about Virgil and Precious' secret roles. Virgil was concerned. He propped the kitchen door open so that he could hear better. He didn't like to eavesdrop, but he didn't see any other choice.  
  
"Why exactly do you need to know? Are you concerned for some reason?"  
  
"No, not at all. You see, these past two summers when Precious came back, she's a little better. She's a little happier, a little friendlier, and a little stronger. But at home, she's still in a school with severely autistic children, and when she's in that environment, she tends to emulate it and retreat into some of the children's extreme behaviors. I keep trying to tell the school board that she's ready for the regular school system. But they say that technically her diagnosis hasn't changed, that it can't change. As long as she's autistic, she has to go to school for the autistic. How can they say that anyway? They don't even know her!"  
  
"Why don't you get her reevaluated? I've heard of several people who were previously diagnosed with serious autism are later re-diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, a much milder case."  
  
"Yes, I have heard of that, and I think it is possible that Richie's invention has changed enough in her brain that AS could be a more probable diagnosis. But psychological evaluations are expensive, and the school board won't fund it. So I'm still looking for a loophole. In the meantime, I would like to do whatever Richie and Virgil are doing here at our home. I think it will keep her moral high."  
  
"Have you asked Richie?"  
  
"Yes, and I was shocked at how evasive he was. He said something like, 'Oh we do a little bit here and a little bit there, and we just have fun.' Something tells me if I ask Virgil directly, he'd tell me the same thing. And Sean and Maggie have no clue what they do all the time. So, you're the last person I can think of to ask."  
  
"Well, I have to be honest, I don't know all the details. From what I can tell, Virgil's teaching her to serve in the community. I remember the first time he brought her to the community center. I've seen a lot of kids, but I've never seen anyone who looked more out of place. Most of the activities we have available are athletic in nature, and she plainly wasn't interested. But she still wanted to be a part of it. So she volunteered on her own to help me. She picked up trash and swept leaves off the outdoor basketball court. I was very proud of her for noticing some things that most of our visitors miss. And she was just glad to help me. That's the kind of work that Virgil's inspiring her to do, and in my opinion that's the best skills anyone can learn."  
  
"Absolutely, yes. I'm very glad to hear that, but why do you think they're so secretive?"  
  
"I don't ask Virgil what he's been up to because I've learned to trust him. I know he's taking good care of her, whatever he's doing. But it may partly be for privacy reasons. Sharon's boyfriend has dyslexia, and one thing Virgil encouraged Precious to do was introduce to this young man her love of reading. I didn't know about this for a while because this young man doesn't like to disclose his disorder. I'm not exactly sure if he's told Sharon. So that maybe part of the reason they like to keep it quiet."  
  
"I see. Well, I'll try to get Precious involved in such projects at home."  
  
"You know what I think she really needs? She needs a daddy."  
  
Claire's voice sounded more somber. "Yes she does. She's never really had one."  
  
"Are you looking?"  
  
"I'm trying anyway. It's really been hurting lately. I visited my husband when he was in jail, and he told me he tried everything he could to forget he ever married me. And . . . well, let's just say America's law isn't the only thing he broke." She began to cry.  
  
"OK, I've heard enough," Virgil thought. He closed the door and started doing the dishes.  
  
######################  
  
Virgil's Shock Box woke him up. "Richie, I did not order a wake up call," he said groggily.  
  
"Sorry, V-Man, but we got a real situation here."  
  
"Don't criminals sleep in during the summer? If I were a criminal, I would."  
  
"You would if you weren't a criminal, Virg."  
  
"That was my point."  
  
"It isn't like that, though, V. Aunt Claire wants to come with us."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"She wants to see what we're doing firsthand. I tried to talk her out of it, but she was all like" (Richie said in a falsetto voice) "'Well, I have a right to know! I'm her mother!' I didn't know how to answer that, and I don't know what to do. We can't let her in our secret, and we can't just have a nothing day either."  
  
"Richie, it's ok. I overheard her talking with Pops last night. I understand why she's wanting to do this. Just hang on. I'll get something together by lunch, ok?"  
  
"Alright. Can you give me a idea?"  
  
"One thing at a time, bro. I'm ready for breakfast."  
  
Sharon and Mr. Hawkins were already down in the kitchen. "You're up early for a summer vacation day," Sharon observed when Virgil came in.  
  
"I had a rude awakening," Virgil muttered.  
  
"Sorry to hear that," Mr. Hawkins said. He took a sip of his coffee and then looked up. "Alright, now that I have the two of you together, we need to talk."  
  
"Dad, Virgil and I both know that we were acting immature last night," Sharon said. "We both apologized to the girl."  
  
"We'll try to be on our best behavior when we have guests next time," Virgil added. "We should have known better."  
  
"Well, I'm glad we got that out of the way," Mr. Hawkins said.  
  
"You mean, you're not mad?" Sharon asked.  
  
"I wasn't pleased with your behavior last night. I believed you crossed the line. But I think you handled the situation afterward gracefully. Anyhow, that's not what I wanted to talk to you about."  
  
"What is it, Pops?" Virgil asked.  
  
Mr. Hawkins sighed and said, "How would the two of you feel if I asked Claire if I could see her again?"  
  
"You mean like a . . . date?"  
  
"Yeah, that's pretty much what I mean."  
  
"Dad, didn't you count the cost?" Sharon asked.  
  
"You know I wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't something I gave a lot of thought and prayer over."  
  
"Are you sure? I mean, this doesn't sound like the right thing for the girl."  
  
"Of course it is! She needs a good father."  
  
"Dad, they're white! I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that, but there's so much bad blood out there. Precious took personally things Virgil and I said to each other. Think about how she would feel if somebody yelled words Virgil and I would never even think of saying right in her face, just because she was with us!"  
  
"Yes, that is a deep concern. Thank goodness those people are becoming fewer."  
  
"But one of those people are her uncle!" Virgil brought up. "I know he's been better, but I also know feelings like that don't die easily. He might disown Miss Foley and Precious forever. I might not be able to be friends with Richie anymore."  
  
"Now, you two are thinking way too ahead! I'm not asking what you would think if I asked Claire to marry me. I just want to give her a shot. Is that wrong?"  
  
"We're not saying that it is, but just be careful."  
  
"I will. Don't worry." The room got silent as everybody continued to eat. Virgil got up to think more about Richie's predicament, but as he got up Mr. Hawkins said, "Virgil, can I speak with you privately please?"  
  
"Ooh, you're going to get it," Sharon teased.  
  
For the first time in his life, Virgil was too distracted to think of a comeback. He sat down next to his father and waited for Sharon to leave. "What is it, Pops?"  
  
"Virgil, I know you were eavesdropping on us last night. I saw you prop open the door."  
  
"Pops, I'm sorry to be rude, but once I heard where the conversation was going, I had to hear. I thought you were going to give it away."  
  
"I'll let it slide this time. Seeing you in the door there helped me think of what to say."  
  
"Well, thank you for not saying," Virgil said as he got up.  
  
"I didn't," Mr. Hawkins replied, "but I think you should." Virgil hesitated, so Mr. Hawkins continued, "You heard why she wants to know. I see no reason why Precious can't be the Muse in her hometown."  
  
"Pops, I can't. Richie and I both agree that she's not ready to be a superhero on her own. You don't know her as well as we do. She's physically weak, so she often needs our help, and her logic works different than normal. She doesn't have a superhero mentor up in Metropolis anymore. That's why we only work on it when she's visits in the summer."  
  
"You still need to talk to her about it. Claire is worried about her daughter's future. Her worry is not good. Virgil, I think Claire is depressed because her former husband cheated on her."  
  
"She didn't say that!"  
  
"No, but sometimes when you've worked with people for as long as I have, you can tell."  
  
"I'm going to have to think about this. I'll try to do what's best for both of them."  
  
"That's all I ask. I will too."  
  
"Good."  
  
Virgil got back on the Shock Box with Richie, and they agreed to take Precious over to some of the places they go regularly when not doing hero stuff, such as the library and the community center. He even suggested that they take Aunt Claire to the gas station, so long as they turn off and hide their equipment. "'Cause really what I think we're doing with Precious that is so beneficial is just spending time and communicating with her," Virgil explained.  
  
"Yeah, I think you're right. At least it's something like that."  
  
"But Richie, just so you're aware, we might have to tell your aunt about all this before she leaves. Pops wants me to."  
  
"What? How come?"  
  
"I'll explain later."  
  
Precious was very glad that her mother was coming along. They went over to the library and checked out some books. Then Richie treated everybody to lunch at Get Your Grub On. Afterwards, they went to the Community Center. Richie and Virgil went to "shoot some hoops" while Precious picked up litter.  
  
"Claire! I didn't think we meet this soon!" an excited voice called.  
  
"Oh, Robert!" Aunt Claire said somewhat startled. She pulled out a thank you card from her handbag. "I was going to give this to Virgil so that he could give this to you, but since you're here, well, here." She handed it to him.  
  
"Thank you. That's very nice. Say, I was wondering if you'd like to meet together again sometime before you leave. I know a nice steakhouse downtown."  
  
"Oh yes, I would love to. Precious and I do like steak."  
  
"Actually, I was wondering if it could be just you and me this time."  
  
"Oh." She came in closer and whispered to him, "I don't know if I could do that. If my brother knew I was going alone to see you, he'd go ballistic."  
  
"So, you're going to let his biases rule you?"  
  
"I didn't say that. I just want him to still be part of our lives, at least because of Richie."  
  
"Alright, you can bring her."  
  
"Thank you. I appreciate this so much." Virgil just happened to see part of the exchange, and for some reason, he suddenly felt sad. For the rest of the day, he wasn't his old self. He seemed distant and said little.  
  
Virgil's moodiness continued for the next few days. It even affected his superhero work. One day he didn't come to the gas station. Precious and Richie waited there for hours dressed in their costumes, and Precious was starting to get restless. Gear stayed silent and worked on some of his gadgets.  
  
"Hey Gear, I was asking Virgil some questions the other day, and he didn't have an answer. Maybe you do."  
  
"Sure, what is it?"  
  
"Well, one was, if wood is such a poor conductor of electricity, why do so many trees get struck by lightning?"  
  
"Oh that's easy. The lightning is attracted to the tree sap. When lightning hits the tree, the sap heats up, expands, and the tree explodes." Gear sat up straighter. "Hey, that gives me an idea."  
  
For the rest of the afternoon, he was writing down formulas and mixing chemicals. "What are you doing?" Precious asked.  
  
"Making synthetic sap. This will probably help Static when he encounters that obstacle."  
  
"Where is Static anyway? It's not like him to be this late. Shouldn't we call his Shock Box?"  
  
"No, I don't think we should."  
  
"But we need to get him!"  
  
"I've known him for a long time. Virgil is sometimes a troubled boy. I don't think he ever told you about his mother, did he?"  
  
"I always thought she ran away, like Daddy did."  
  
"No, it's much worse. She was a doctor. Her job was to get people who needed help onto an ambulance. A few years ago, before the Big Bang, there was a huge gang fight. Virgil's mother was called to help, and she was hit by a stray bullet."  
  
"So, she died?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Precious began to cry just a little bit. "That's so sad."  
  
"Yeah. So Virgil feels down sometimes. He's probably gone somewhere to think. That's why it's probably a bad idea to page him. It will interrupt his train of thought. I think it might be more beneficial if you go talk to him."  
  
"Me? Are you sure?"  
  
"I'll come if you need me. Here, I know some of the places he likes to go."  
  
The Muse flew around town until she found Virgil in his costume sitting on the three of the clock face downtown. She flew over and sat beside him. "Static?"  
  
"Oh, hey Muse," he mumbled. He was stone quiet after that, so the Muse searched for something to say. It took forever. Finally, Virgil sighed and said, "Pops really likes your mother."  
  
"Good. She really likes him too."  
  
"No, I mean he really, really likes her."  
  
"That's what I'm saying. She likes him too."  
  
"You don't understand. He wants to date her. If they go on enough dates and they like each other enough, he might ask her to marry him."  
  
"Oh. So he's in love. Why didn't you say so?"  
  
"Well, I wouldn't say that he's in love. He's not humming Motown yet. It's just that Pops has been lonely for a long time, and he knows that your mother is also lonely."  
  
"Lonely? Why? She has me"  
  
"Yeah, but losing a spouse still leaves you very lonely. It's a kind of loneliness that no one else can cure, and it's hard to get rid of."  
  
"But I don't understand. Why is this holding you up so much?"  
  
"I have nothing against your mother, it's just hard thinking of anybody taking over for Moms. Have I ever told you about her?"  
  
"Richie told me."  
  
"Alright. I'm sure you feel the same way about anybody replacing your pops. It must have been hard on you when she made that decision."  
  
"Uh-huh. I was mad. I told Mommy that she was giving up on him. But she told me that he did something very bad that made her cry every night. She won't say what that is, but I don't want her to be sad anymore. So I don't know how to feel."  
  
"Yeah, I hear ya. But let's look on the bright side. If this works out, I could be your stepbrother! Won't that be something?" The Muse looked away. "What's wrong? You wanted to know what it's like to have a brother."  
  
The Muse sighed. "I don't know if I'd like that."  
  
"Why not?" Virgil sounded very offended.  
  
"Because that means I have to fight you. I don't want to fight you, or Sharon. You're my friends."  
  
"You don't have to fight us if you don't want to."  
  
"Yes I do. Sharon said so. She said, 'Sibling rivalry is inevitable.'"  
  
"That's not what she means! That doesn't mean siblings have to fight, it means they probably will."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"It's a power issue, in a lot of ways. You know, they fight over which sibling is better. And it's not always true. Hey, if you don't want to fight me, I won't fight you. And I'll try to be nicer to Sharon, emphasis on try."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"But Pops is right. We shouldn't look too far into the future just yet. To be honest, Sharon and I both have doubts about this relationship, and it has nothing to do with you."  
  
"Why? What's wrong?"  
  
Virgil stuttered. He did not know what to say. Finally he said, "It's unpleasant, dangerous waters. Let's not go down that road until we are sure how serious this thing is."  
  
"OK." Suddenly, her appearance changed. Her blond hair suddenly turned black. "Huh?" There was a flicker, and then it changed to red, then green, and her nose became a little longer. "Magic! Magic! Stop!"  
  
"You feeling ok?" Static asked.  
  
"I don't know. I better go back to HQ." She stood, unfurled her wings, and took flight. Yet just as she left the clock, her wings vanished. She took quite a plunge, screaming her head off. But then--  
  
"It's ok Muse! I've got you!"  
  
Static had caught her in midair, but she was still shaking and hyperventilating. "That was so scary. I forgot you were there." Then she gasped and hid her face.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"I just saw a camera pointed at us!"  
  
"You're right, the paparazzi will have a field day."  
  
"No, someone's spying on us!"  
  
"You sure? I don't see--oh!" Static still didn't see, but the thought of a sudden, unexplained glitch in the Magic Hat had him worried. He quickly made a ball of bright light surround them and flash to quiet her. "There, that should lose 'em. Now let's go to HQ."  
  
But the Muse was still edgy. She wouldn't uncover her face, and when they got there, her first words were, "Gear! Cover the windows, lock the doors! We don't have time!"  
  
"Muse, nobody's going to see us in here," Static said. "Nobody's ever seen us!"  
  
"You can't assume that, Static! Mommy says you can never assume that! Besides, they might find us!"  
  
"What's going on?" Gear said after coving up the window with a poster.  
  
"She's a little paranoid after taking a spill."  
  
"She fell? What about your wings?"  
  
"I'm not just paranoid! I saw a tiny flying camera pointed right at us!" Precious insisted.  
  
"Maybe you should do a diagnostic on her Magic Hat," Static suggested.  
  
Gear scanned the hat with Backpack. "Yep, it's got a virus."  
  
"A virus?" Precious asked. "How can a piece of machinery get sick?"  
  
"It's a computer virus. You know, it's a sudden, unexplained glitch. There's no telling where it came from. This is sounding like Omnaura to me."  
  
"Omnaura?" Precious asked. "Hmm, Omn--o-m-n, a prefix derived from the Latin word 'Omni' meaning all, and aura--a-u-r-a, a distinctive atmosphere surrounding a given source. So her name means 'all atmospheres.' That's quite clever."  
  
"Don't you dare praise her!" Static admonished. "She's bad news! You may have something here with being so paranoid. Back a ways ago, she used her technology to discover my secret identity. She kidnapped Pops and made me steal back her research from Alva Industries."  
  
"Alva Industries? What's that?"  
  
"I haven't told you about Alva? His company developed the gas that caused the Big Bang! She used to work for him. She had a secret project to control all the digital devices in the world with her own magic hat."  
  
"She does sound dangerous. How come I've never met her?"  
  
"We tangled when you were still in school. Gear stopped her by infecting her system with a virus of his own. She looked so brain fried she wouldn't recover."  
  
"We can never assume that either, I guess," Gear muttered.  
  
"Wait a minute," Precious asked. "How did Mr. Hawkins react to being captured? Was Static able to keep his identity a secret?"  
  
"Nope," Static answered. "He figured it out. I thought you noticed."  
  
"Oh. I had wondered, but I wasn't sure. I felt a little guilty because I thought I accidentally gave it away."  
  
"You don't have to feel guilty. Pops is smarter than I give him credit sometimes."  
  
"I guess this means I can't do any magic for a while."  
  
"Don't worry, I'll be able to get rid of this virus," Gear said. "I'll get it back to you as soon as I can. In the meantime, Static and I will look for Omnaura."  
  
"Gear," Static whispered, "I don't think we have anything to worry about. You know Omnaura's in not functioning normally. It's not possible."  
  
"How can it not be? This is very similar to the worm she infected my system with. And Omnaura had to discover your identity somehow with a camera."  
  
"I can't explain the bug, but she just took a really hard dive. Even after it was over, she was shaking like a leaf. You know how she gets when she's scared. Her autism was acting up. With her magic hat malfunctioning, it's no wonder she started seeing things."  
  
"But she's right, we can't assume. This could be serious."  
  
"You just try to clean up that virus, and I'll do my thing. If anything comes up, I'll take care of it."  
  
"Alright," Gear shrugged and went back to work. He wasn't sure why Static was so adamant.  
  
##################  
  
Precious wanted to spend her time off to play Galaxy Sea, but Aunt Claire had other ideas. All day, she made sure that they both were ready for that night. She gave Precious a long shower, then made her wear an uncomfortable dress, then put makeup on her, then did all kinds of stuff with her hair that was much too hot on her scalp and took hours to do. Precious hated it.  
  
"Mommy, this hurts," she whined.  
  
"Well the French have a saying, 'It hurts to be beautiful.'"  
  
"We didn't have to do this last time."  
  
"We're going to a high class restaurant, one of the kinds that has a dress code. Besides, the Hawkins got all dressed up for us last time. We need to return the favor."  
  
Just then, Mr. Foley came in. "Well," he said with a smile. "Don't you two look lovely?"  
  
"Hi Uncle Sean," Precious said.  
  
"Hey Precious," he whispered to her, "Better watch out. Aunt Maggie might put her on her shelf with all her other china dolls."  
  
"Please don't let her do that," she whispered back.  
  
He chuckled. "Don't worry about it."  
  
"Well Sean, you're home early," Aunt Claire remarked.  
  
He acted like he didn't hear her, but looked in her eyes and said, "So Claire, what's the occasion?"  
  
"Precious and I have been invited to have dinner with a friend."  
  
His tone became much more serious. "The same friend who invited you over the other night?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
He looked down at his niece. "Precious, why don't you go up to Richie's room and play video games for a little while?" Then he looked back up at his sister and said sternly, "Your mother and I need to have a little talk."  
  
Precious nodded and ran up to the room. She had been anxious to play all day, so the seriousness of her uncle's voice escaped her. She closed the door, turned the volume a notch or two too high, and immersed herself in a world of digitized fantasy. Richie came in about five minutes later. "Oh, there you are," he said. "Good thing you're up here."  
  
"Why?" Precious asked without even looking away from the screen.  
  
"Uh, never mind. Hey, I got Magic Hat 2 fixed."  
  
"Good."  
  
"And I just worked out a system with Mr. H. for tonight. If you ever notice anything amiss, just tell your mom that you need to go to the bathroom. He'll offer to escort you, then he'll take you to the restroom for you to change. We'll try not to page you on the Shock Box unless we know we can't handle it by ourselves. Got it?"  
  
"Yeah--Oh man! I just died! And I can't remember the last time I saved, and we just got so far. I hate when that happens."  
  
"Precious, did you even hear me?"  
  
"Yeah Richie. But why are you so worried? Why would anybody attack a restaurant, and what are the chances that they'll attack my restaurant?"  
  
"Look, despite what Virgil says, I believe Omnaura was behind what happened yesterday, and I think she's after you. If she was planning to take over the world, like last time, other digital objects (such as Backpack) would have been infected with her virus. But I couldn't find a trace of the virus in any of my equipment. I don't know how she knows about your Magic Hat, but this plainly shows that you were a target somehow."  
  
"Oh. OK. Well, I gotta go to the bathroom."  
  
"That's right. You say it just like that."  
  
"No, I mean I really have to--" Precious got up and started to open the door.  
  
"Oh! Yeah, ok. Hey wait! Stop!"  
  
But it was too late. Precious heard it all.  
  
Aunt Claire screamed, "SHAME ON YOU, SEAN BRIAN FOLEY! I thought you grew! I thought you changed! I thought you learned to look beyond these shallow stereotypes!"  
  
"IT'S NOT A STEREOTYPE!" he screamed back. "I've heard it on a documentary from one of their own . . . kind. IT'S THE TRUTH!"  
  
"Where did you see this documentary? MTV?"  
  
"What difference does it makes? They're not like us, Claire. They're a completely different culture, and that culture is still very dangerous. It's not a safe place to mix romance. I'm telling you, you'll never be anything more to him than a status symbol."  
  
"Do you think that's how his son looks at my daughter?"  
  
"I wouldn't put it past him."  
  
Aunt Claire screamed even louder, but Precious closed the restroom door and couldn't hear it clearly. She sat down and cried a little. When she was done, she could hear that her mother was also crying.  
  
"Claire," Sean said gently, "you gotta understand. You're my little sister, and I'm the only family you have left. I'm supposed to be looking after you. I just want to keep you from making a huge mistake that you'll regret for the rest of your life."  
  
"Oh, I already made one of those. YOU APPROVED OF HIM! HE WAS WHITE!"  
  
"DON'T YOU GO BRINGING--" But before he could finish, Claire walked out of the room. She got Precious by the wrist and went for the front door. She shot Mr. Foley a defiant glare and went walked out to the car. Mr. Foley crossed his arms and watched them drive away. Mrs. Foley came out to talk to him. She touched his elbow, and he angrily turned to her. He said coldly, "If they are not back by 11:00, lock the door."  
  
"Sean, your niece is with her."  
  
"She can spend the night with the company she chose to keep!" he yelled. "Let's have dinner."  
  
Claire drove as far away from the house as she could. Then she pulled over to the shoulder of the road and hit her head on the steering wheel. After collecting her thoughts she said, "Sweetheart, I'm so sorry you had to hear some of that. I know it hurt you. It hurt me tremendously."  
  
"But why was Uncle Sean yelling at you? Was it just sibling rivalry?"  
  
"No, honey. It's deeper than that. I love your uncle, but he has a problem. Your uncle has always been prejudiced against African Americans."  
  
Precious began to think aloud, "P-R-E-D . . . P-R-E . . . I am not familiar with that word."  
  
"It's a good thing. It's an awful word."  
  
"It's a bad word?"  
  
"Not per se, but it's a bad thing to be. It means that he separates out a certain group just because they are different from him, in this case it's African Americans like Virgil's family. Then he takes little details that apply to some people in that group and apply them to all the people in that group. Do you understand?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Alright, let me give you an example. There are some African American young men, just a little older than Virgil, who commit violent crimes. They're all on the news almost all the time. Because of that, for a long time your Uncle Sean believed that African Americans were all dangerous. Back when he was young, it was really bad. He called African Americans course names and beat them up daily. Worst part is, my dad, your grandfather, he encouraged Sean's behavior. This is going to sound cruel, but sometimes I'm glad he passed away. You didn't need to be influenced by that kind of thinking."  
  
"But how could Uncle Sean think that Virgil or Virgil's daddy is dangerous? They're really nice."  
  
"I don't really understand it, honey. There's always been a strain between our two races. Over two hundred years ago Africans were brought to America as slaves. It wasn't until just recently that they got full rights as citizens. It's not right that we've treated them as unfairly as we have for so long. It still goes on. I don't know why. But I am so proud of you for making friends with Virgil without even questioning his skin color. I've been proud Richie for making friends with him as well. Richie helped open your uncle's mind at last. Uncle Sean doesn't feel as prejudiced as he did before, but his opinions were not gone forever. He opposed my going to see Virgil's father."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"It's something he heard about African American men looking exclusively for a Caucasian woman. I don't think you're old enough to really understand. I don't believe Mr. Hawkins is like that. He's a thoughtful, caring man, and he just wants to make a friend."  
  
"Maybe more than a friend?"  
  
"Maybe, and even if that's the case, it's ok. Well, we need to get going. He's probably wondering where we are. Here, I'll reapply your makeup."  
  
"OK," Precious said reluctantly. They were quiet the rest of the way. Precious just kept mulling in her mind what she had just heard, and the more she thought of it the less sense it made.  
  
Mr. Hawkins was waiting for them at the restaurant. He smiled big when he saw them. "Claire! My goodness, you look . . . great!"  
  
"Why thank you, Robert."  
  
"And Precious, you are really living up to you're name."  
  
"Thank you, Mr. Hawkins," Precious said meekly.  
  
They were shown to their table. Precious looked out the window. She stayed silent and munched on breadsticks. She paid no attention to what Mr. Hawkins and her mother were saying. There was still too much on her mind. It was probably just as well. It made the two feel like they had more privacy.  
  
About when she was eating her last bite of steak, Precious saw something out the window. It looked like a flying woman with glowing eyes, and she was coming toward the restaurant. "Omnaura?" Precious thought. She turned back to her mother. "Mommy, can I go to the bathroom?"  
  
Mr. Hawkins picked up his cue. "Sit tight, Claire. I'll escort her. We'll be right back." He took Precious by the hand and led her to restroom. Then he handed her a beach bag and whispered, "Do what you need to do. Good luck."  
  
She nodded and went in. She put her Magic Hat on and had to activate it a couple of times. She wanted a disguise that looked nothing like what she really looked like because she didn't want her mother to recognize her. As soon as the Muse got a mask that suited her, she called Static and Gear. "Guys, I think I just saw Omnaura! I saw a flying woman with eyes that glowed green!"  
  
"That sounds like her," Gear said.  
  
"We'll get there as soon as we can," Static replied. "Right now we kinda got our hands full."  
  
"OK, I'll try to hold her off."  
  
"You sure?" Gear said.  
  
"I have to. Nobody else can, unless RB and Shebang are anywhere around."  
  
"No, I think they're both out of town."  
  
"Then I gotta do it. I'll be ok. I'm just worried that Mommy will feel worried about me." Just then there was an explosion just outside the restroom. "Gotta go!" the Muse said quickly before signing off.  
  
Outside, Omnaura had broken in. "Robert Hawkins, I presume? It has been a long time."  
  
"What do you want? If it has anything with Static--"  
  
"I'm not interested him at the moment."  
  
"It's me you want isn't it?" a voice said behind her. Omnaura turned to see the Muse cross-armed. "Well, here I am. Give me one good reason why I should be afraid of you."  
  
"Robert are you ok?" Claire came running to Mr. Hawkins' side, and then she glared at the new specter. "Robert, who is this?"  
  
"Bad news," he replied.  
  
Omnaura did not even notice the two of them. "Yes, Muse, I am after you. Trust me, I have many reasons why you should fear me."  
  
"I'm not going to allow you to take over the world again. My magic will stop you."  
  
"Oh my dear, you don't see. Much of my equipment has been damaged, so I am not ready quite yet to seek a network that expansive. I've decided to start small. I've decided to start with you."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I know you stole my idea. Your powers are derived from a neural helmet, much like my own."  
  
"Are you so sure? Most people believe it is my pendant."  
  
"You're rather careless, Muse. I can't tell you how much footage I got of you scratching your head beneath that helmet. I can show it to you if I had a monitor, but there does not seem to be one here. I can see the circuitry underneath too. It is very similar."  
  
"Maybe so, but I didn't steal it. I had it long before you ever showed up."  
  
"Oh, but I had the blueprints written for my neural network before you were even born. Don't worry. I'm not accusing you . . . yet. After all, this may just be a case of 'Great minds think alike.' Besides, there is a benefit to this. I can link my neural helmet directly to yours, and I can see what is in your mind."  
  
"What?"  
  
"It's true. I can sense the neurons firing in your brain, and I believe I can translate them to thoughts. I can learn everything I want to about you, but even more than this, I can control you!"  
  
"You can't! I won't let you!"  
  
"Oh, but I can. Let me demonstrate." Omnaura closed her eyes. "Oh, isn't this interesting? I believe I have found your weakness already."  
  
"No."  
  
"Yes. I don't believe you're even aware of this. Your cerebellum is much smaller than normal, and it is very weak. Do you know what the cerebellum controls, Muse? Balance, posture, coordination. I wonder what would happen if it were ATTACKED!"  
  
A couple of surges of electricity emitted from Omnaura's neural helmet. The Muse cringed and fell down. Her limbs flailed all about her. It looked like she was having a seizure. The fit passed, but the Muse still couldn't stand.  
  
"That's just a little taste of what I can do, my little puppet. Here's another. You said when you first saw me that you weren't afraid of me, but I see what you are afraid of. Oh, this is too easy."  
  
Omnaura looked up and smiled, and all the fire alarms in the restaurant went off. Any people who were still in the restaurant immediately got out. Only Mr. Hawkins and Claire stayed. Claire started to get up and attack Omnaura, but Mr. Hawkins stopped her.  
  
"Please, make it stop!" the Muse screamed.  
  
"Why? I am having too much fun. Now you're thinking of Static and Gear. You would love for them to be here, wouldn't you? Well, you're out of luck. I made sure that they were well occupied. How does it feel, Muse, to be completely powerless? No friends, no control, and no way to keep me out! Now, let me get in deeper. Let's see who you really are."  
  
"NO! MAGIC!" At her command, all sorts of holograms erupted from her magic hat. There were dragons, ghosts, and monsters. One ghost with deep blue eyes, silver hair that went down to his feet, and wearing a black cape knocked Omnaura down with an abnormally long sword. Other than that, most of the apparitions didn't directly hurt Omnaura, but they tore up the restaurant and forced Mr. Hawkins and Claire outside. Omnaura continued to get in, but the Muse continued to fight.  
  
The Muse was starting to get tired. Her head hurt, and she felt drained of energy. She was just about ready to quit when she felt two strong arms pull her up. "Here we are," a voice said in her ear. It was Static!  
  
"YOU!" Omnaura yelled. "YOU DID THIS TO ME!"  
  
"I had to, or you would have hurt Pops or given my identity away!"  
  
"She doesn't know anymore," the Muse muttered.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"She doesn't remember your identity. She's searching her mind for your name, but can't find it." Omnaura gawked at the Muse, and the young superhero said to her, "That's right, Omnaura. It works both ways. All I see in your mind is greed and evil thoughts."  
  
"It's not supposed to," she answered.  
  
"Why shouldn't it? Aren't we connected?"  
  
"I failed."  
  
"No. You wanted to know who I am. I showed you. It was my darker side, yes, but that was the best I could do in the state I was in."  
  
"Evidently there were things I did not take into account. No matter, I have something planned in case this happened." She touched her helmet, and a gigantic, wooden robot with a cannon came stomping toward the restaurant. "I know, metal would be a more suitable choice for such a contraption, but wood is such a poor conductor of electricity.  
  
"We need to take this outside," Static whispered to the Muse. Together they teased and taunted Omnaura and the robot until everyone was outside away from the city. Omnaura mounted the robot and aimed at Static. "Hey Gear! That's your cue!"  
  
"Right away!" Gear yelled above. He threw what looked like a Zap Cap at the robot and covered the robot and Omnaura in a sticky, brown substance.  
  
"Ugh!" Omnaura groaned. "What is this?"  
  
"You should feel proud. You were part of the debut of the Sap Cap. Static, show her how good a conductor tree sap is!"  
  
"Everybody cover your eyes!" Static yelled.  
  
Then he created a huge ball of electricity. The energy was drawn to the sap-covered monstrosity, and the robot exploded. Omnaura was flung into the air, but she managed to yell, "I'll be back!"  
  
Gear found her a little while later and called an ambulance through Backpack. "She was in bad shape, but I think she'll live," Gear reported. "Evidently she escaped house arrest, so she's going to be in big trouble when she gets out."  
  
"Oh, you poor dear!" Claire ran up to the Muse and hugged her shoulders. "I saw the whole thing! That was awful! Are you ok?"  
  
"Uh, yeah," the Muse answered as she looked down at her shoes.  
  
Claire saw Static just behind the Muse. "Well done, Virgil."  
  
Static tried to muster the best-surprised look that he could. "Virgil?"  
  
"Oh, I mean Static. My bad. You just look a little like someone I know."  
  
Static rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled nervously. Then he smiled. "Hey, I remember you! How's your daughter doing? You know, it really makes my day when I see her."  
  
"Oh, could you help me find her please? She was going to the restroom when we were attacked, and nobody saw her escape the restaurant. I'm afraid she wandered off again."  
  
"I don't think you have to worry," Gear said. "I saw a small, opened window on the side. I bet she climbed out when all the alarms went off. We'll find her."  
  
"Thank you so much." Claire gave the Muse another hug. "You mean so much to my daughter. I hope you find her." She was surprised that the Muse wasn't hugging back. "Are you sure you're alright?"  
  
"She's probably just shocked still," Gear suggested.  
  
"Yeah," the Muse nodded. "Shocked."  
  
"It's ok, though," Static said. "She's got a good family."  
  
The Muse held Static's hand. "I have a good brother."  
  
They all went off to a place for the Muse to hide and switch Magic Hats. When they returned, they found Mr. Hawkins and Claire talking together.  
  
"Move?" Claire asked. "I don't know."  
  
"It'll be for the best, Claire," Mr. Hawkins said. "I can find more opportunities for you. Precious can be with Richie and Virgil all the time. And we can see each other more often. You do want to see me again, don't you?"  
  
"Well . . . I just don't know. You're so nice, Robert. But moving away from Metropolis, it's just too big of a jump."  
  
"I think Precious will adjust to the change easier than you think. She loves it here."  
  
"I mean too big of a jump for me. Metropolis has been my home since I was a little girl. I'm not saying no, but I'm really going to have to think about it."  
  
"Take all the time you need."  
  
"You'll keep in touch, will you?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Robert, did that woman say that girl had a weakness in her cerebrum or her cerebellum?"  
  
Mr. Hawkins sighed. "I'm sure she said cerebellum."  
  
Claire nodded. "That's what I thought." Only then she greet Precious with open arms.  
  
##################  
  
Virgil succeeded in sleeping in the next morning. He came down and saw Mr. Hawkins in the kitchen reading the newspaper and sipping on coffee. "Morning, Pops. Where's Sharon?"  
  
"She's already headed on for the day. You can have some cereal."  
  
"Alright! I missed her cooking!" He pulled out a store brand version of Honey Nut Cheerios. "So, how'd it go last night, apart from the time Omnaura terrorized it?"  
  
"It went alright. She was very charming. Unfortunately, she's probably gone now. She had to leave for home today. I tried to convince her to move here, but I don't think it worked. She gave me a pretty definite 'maybe.'"  
  
"So I guess all we got to do now is wait for her 'maybe' to become a 'yes?'"  
  
"Yeah, but even if it does, I don't know."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"I got to be honest with you, Virgil. I admired and respected Claire, and I thought she was nice looking, but I never really loved her. I didn't feel the way I did with your mother or with Trina. I was partly dating her out of necessity. I thought it would be convenient to keep the superheroes together in a family, and I know some things about autism that Claire probably does not. I also wanted to get her back on her feet and provide her a life with a clean start. I know sometimes love doesn't come easily, but in order for this to work both of us have to desire it. I'm not sure if that's the case."  
  
"I see. Well, you know, it maybe for the best. I mean, how is Miss F. going to take it when you tell her that I'm a superhero as well as her nephew and her daughter?"  
  
"Virgil, I think she knows."  
  
"No kidding?"  
  
"The symptoms that Omnaura described are consistent with autism, and how many other autistic children were at that steakhouse last night?"  
  
"Oh. Well, maybe it's possible that she decided it was a coincidence."  
  
"It's possible. You know I tried to keep from telling her. That's why I suggested she move here. Now that she refused, I'm not sure what to do to keep Precious occupied at home."  
  
Virgil's eyes lit up. "I think I do."  
  
He ran upstairs and told Gear his idea over the Shock Box. Gear agreed, but told Static that he better hurry. Aunt Claire was about to leave.  
  
Virgil made it there just in time. "Miss F.! We need to talk to you!" He got her into a side room. "A few years ago, Richie and I made these special walkie-talkies that transmit long distance. We can talk to each other from the other side of town. I even succeeded in calling Richie when I was in Africa."  
  
"So, they're like cell phones?" Claire observed.  
  
"Sorta," Richie nodded. "We were thinking of making one just like it for Precious this summer. Then when she's at home, she can call us late in the afternoon and tell us about her day. It should help her communication skills, and we can help her with her problems."  
  
"But we would like it to be kept secret," Virgil explained. "It's like a game, you know?"  
  
"Yeah, this would be great. You guys are geniuses! I bet that would work! I bet that's what we need!"  
  
"Alright, we'll do it," Richie said.  
  
"Hey by the way, where is Precious?" Virgil said. "Didn't she want to say goodbye to her mother?"  
  
"She already did right after breakfast. Then she left. She said she had something she needed to think about."  
  
"That's odd," Virgil said. "I'll look for her."  
  
After Claire left, Virgil got in his costume and searched the city. He found the Muse sitting alone on the three of the clock face downtown. "Muse, what up?"  
  
She turned to him, and Static did a double take. Her skin was very dark. Normally it looked like she got a good tan, but this was different. And she had tight braids going down her back. "Whoa! You look like Alicia Keys!"  
  
"Is that good?"  
  
"Well, Alicia Keys is one of my favorite people."  
  
"Sharon likes her too."  
  
"Wow. That's one thing we have in common. I know you mean nothing bad by this, but I wouldn't go down there like this. Some people might get mad."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Well, it's called black face, and some people use it to be offensive."  
  
"I'm just trying to understand. Why would anybody feel prejudice to this? What's wrong with it? I don't see anything wrong. Sometimes when I want to understand, I try to rehearse. I go through it so many times in my mind, even speak it aloud. I think better when I hear my thoughts, and I thought I'd think better if I see my thoughts."  
  
"Where did you hear talk like that?"  
  
"Uncle Sean yelled at Mommy yesterday before we left. She said it was because he was prejudiced."  
  
"Oh. I was afraid it would come that way. Look, I don't completely understand it either. I don't think anybody does, not even those who say they know everything about it. I don't really want to know, and I am so glad that you don't understand it. You're innocent. But the worse thing about this is, I'm afraid you're going to feel your share of prejudice soon."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because you're a girl and you're . . . different."  
  
"But we're all different. That's what I don't get the most. Why would anybody single out people because they're different? It just doesn't make any sense."  
  
"No, it doesn't."  
  
"I guess, you know, we all come from the same source. Somewhere down the line we're all brothers and sisters. Perhaps this prejudice is a form of sibling rivalry."  
  
"I never thought of it that way. Maybe it is. But that doesn't make it reasonable. It's not right."  
  
Next episode: Legend--Static, Gear, and the Muse take a trip to see another famous superhero. 


	7. Legend

Episode 7: Legend

A figure shrouded in darkness stood upon the roof of the highest building. A light breeze made the fringe of the figure's garment blow around person. Though there was no source of light behind the figure, the silhouette seemed to cast an intimidating shadow upon the city below. Yet a sudden blast of heat lightning exploded behind the figure, and it was revealed to be a young girl dressed in white.

Two other figures came up behind her. "I've never seen a place that looked so dreary," the girl noted. "It looks almost like it's painted on black paper."

"That's Gotham City for you," one of her friends responded. "Come on."

The identities of these figures were identified as they flew off the roof of the building: the Muse, Static, and Gear. They were heading uptown when suddenly the Muse exclaimed, "Oh my goodness! Look at those people!" She pointed to some men tied upside-down from a rafter. "We got to go free them!"

"Relax!" Static said. "Those are obviously bad guys because that's the handiwork of the guy who wants to see you."

"Batman did that?"

"Yeah," Gear said. "See that bat at the end of the rope? That's his mark."

"Wow. You're sure he doesn't have superpowers? Because that is really impressive. Wonder what he wants with me?"

"There's no telling," Static asked.

The whole set up was strange. That morning Virgil's Shock Box went off. He answered it expecting to hear Richie on the other end, but instead he heard a very British voice saying, "Hello? Am I addressing Static?"

"Who is this?"

"I was told I could reach you at this frequency."

"Who told you? Gear?"

"We have met before. I believe you addressed me as . . . 'dawg.'"

"Oh, you're Batman's go-to guy! Wassup? Does the Caped Crusader need our help?"

"Master Bruce requests the presence of your superhero friend the Muse this afternoon."

"Oh, sure. We'll be down as soon as we can. What do you her for?"

"That is all." Then the transmission ended.

Virgil immediately called Richie and told him what had occurred. Richie, of course, was begging to go. "I don't know, Rich," Virgil asked. "He called me, not you. I know the way there and everything."

"But I can be moral support. Because let's face it, she may not be ready to meet Batman. He is really intimidating. She might interpret his demeanor as mean to her, and she's going to need someone to console her."

So Virgil agreed that he could go, and they left right away. They told the Muse everything they knew about Batman on the way. She was rather excited as well as curious and a little scared.

"Let's see," Static muttered. "It's over this way--oh, great!"

They stopped on another rooftop as they saw a strange blimp that looked like a fool's hat. "Why are we stopping?" the Muse asked.

"'Cause we gotta do our superhero thing," Static answered.

A rope ladder fell off the side, and two strange people came off. One was a man with green hair and wearing a purple suit. The other was a woman wearing skin-tight motley with a red and black color scheme. Both of them had painted faces.

"Well, isn't this considerate of you!" the man remarked in a disturbing, high pitched voice. "I set sail for Dakota, and you come to me, you and your amusing friends." (He put extra emphasis on "muse.")

"Oooh!" the woman squealed as she pinched the Muse's cheek. "Isn't she a cutesie-wootsie?"

"Please sir," the Muse spoke up, "I have a mother who loves me. I'm not interested in running away to join the circus."

Static laughed. "Dissed! Gimme five, girl!"

The Muse didn't realize that she had made a joke. "What? I'm just starting to wonder why we flew for two hours just to meet up with a couple of clowns."

"Clowns!" The man grabbed his heart and staggered back.

"Don't take it too hard, Puddin'," the woman said as she held his shoulder.

"Well, what else could you be?" the Muse shrugged. "You fit the description. C-L-O-W-N, a buffoon who entertains by jokes, antics, and tricks, as in a circus or rodeo, and who traditionally wears bright colors and a painted face. Synonyms include: fool, jester, madcap, mime, mountebank, picador, and punchinello."

The man chuckled and patted the Muse on her shoulder. "I'll go easy on you because you are so young and still very new at this. But you must know," he started tightening his grip, "I AM NO CLOWN! I AM THE JOKER!"

"Well, as my mommy would say, 'Same difference, right?'" she retorted.

"There is so a difference! A clown is . . . well . . . is there a difference?"

"Oh wait, a joker. I remember what that is. It's the wild card I throw away to play Go Fish. It's also the card I keep in to play Slap the Joker."

"Yeah," Static chuckled. "So, you can either get slapped or thrown out. Which will it be?"

The Joker's smile got wider. "When I'm done, she'll want to play with a full deck."

"We'll see about that!"

Yet hardly before the battle began, the Muse shrieked. "AIYEEE!"

"What's wrong?" Gear asked.

The Muse grabbed her right arm. "I think a bee stung me. Oh, it hurts!"

"Here, let me take a look." Even as he was talking, everything seemed to blur in the Muse's eyes. She suddenly felt unexplainably sleepy. She groaned and collapsed. "Alright Joker, what did you do?"

"I'll take credit for this one," a very deep and ominous voice said behind her. The last thing the Muse remembered was an enormous shadow falling over her.

* * *

When she awoke, she found herself lying on a metallic table in a dark, damp place. "Static? Gear?" she called groggily. "Where am I?" Her voice seemed to echo, and nobody answered. "Have I been captured?"

Footfalls suddenly echoed throughout the lonely place. A skinny, balding man in a tuxedo approached the girl. "You're awake?"

"Yes. Who are you?"

The man gave a secret smile. "Batman," he replied.

"Oh. I'm pleased to meet you. I'm the Muse."

"Wait, you actually believed me?"

"Why not? So what is it that you wanted to tell me?"

"You may still be delirious. Lie back down. I'll get the Master."

She leaned back onto the counter. She brought her arms in and shivered. "It's cold in here," she said to no one in particular. Everything was dead silent for several minutes, and the Muse got bored. Finally, she got a song stuck in her head, and she started singing it to herself.

"Sing in me, Muse," a deep voice said behind her. She turned around and saw a masked man dressed all in black. He continued, "And through me tell the story of that man skilled in all ways of contending, the wanderer, harried for years on end, after he plundered the stronghold on the proud height of Troy."

The Muse looked down and said meekly, "I don't think I know that song."

"It's from Homer's Odyssey."

"OK. I'll make sure to look for that record."

"You are still delirious, aren't you?"

"No, I'm not. I'm just tired, and a little dizzy, and I don't know where I am."

"I'm sorry I had to tranquilize you. It was the quickest way I could get you away from the Joker to here."

"You tranquilized me? So that wasn't a bee sting."

"No, it was a dart."

"I guess that's good. I was starting to wonder if I was fatally allergic to bee stings. You know, sometimes there's only one way to find out, and I didn't want to find it out that way." She turned and got a better look at him. She gasped. "Are you Batman?"

"Yes."

"But if you're Batman, who's that?" She pointed to the man who greeted her a moment ago.

"That's Alfred, my butler. Sometimes I ask him to cover for me."

"Where's Static and Gear?"

"Nearby. I wanted to see you alone."

"Oh." She turned away. "Static is right, you are intimidating. You're even a little scary."

"Good, I'm supposed to be. I took a vow when I was about your age that I would strike fear in the hearts of all who do evil. But you have nothing to fear from me. I do not seek to harm you."

She started to turn to him again. "So, you're my friend?"

"Let's say I'm your ally."

"A-L-L-Y, one who joins with another for a common purpose. Well, as my mommy would say, 'Same difference right?'"

"Not quite."

"Is everybody in Gotham so particular with their words?"

Batman held her hand and looked into her eyes. "I'll say this. I have been watching you these past few years very closely. I have seen many superheroes in my day, and I must say I have been very impressed by you."

The Muse was amazed. She almost didn't know what to say. "Well, thank you. Thank you so much. I know that means a lot coming from you. Gear says you're not just a superhero, you're a legend. There are not a whole lot of those, maybe you, Superman, Spiderman, and Underdog."

Batman cocked an eyebrow. "Some people might beg to differ. What about you, or Static?"

"We're much too young to be legends yet." Once again she brought her arms in and shivered.

"You cold?"

"Uh-huh. These sleeves are so short, and I'm very cold natured."

Batman sighed and began to untie something around his neck. He took off his long, black cape and draped it around the Muse's shoulders. "There. Is that better?"

The Muse, once again in shock, was only able to slowly nod and whisper, "Thank you."

"Alfred, get our guest some cookies and milk."

"Chocolate chip?" the butler asked.

"Yes Alfred."

"Right away."

"That should help put some energy back into you," Batman whispered to the Muse. "I need to go check something on my computer. Stay here. I'll be right back."

"OK."

Static and Gear were watching from the other side of the cave. "Oh sweet spidey sense, I am so jealous," Gear muttered.

"If I were her, I'd never take a shower again," Static nodded.

"This isn't like Batman though. The Batman we know would probably go Sunday school on you if you even touched his cape."

"I think he's acting more like . . . his other persona."

As Batman left the girl, Static and Gear approached him. "Who are you, and what have you done to the real Batman?" Gear demanded.

Static stepped in front of him. "What he means is, thanks for being so hospitable to her. We were both worried that you were--"

But Static was stopped short as Batman turned and stared at him with that hard stare that only Batman could give. "Do you think it was wise to make an autistic child a superhero?"

"WHA?" Static and Gear said at the same time.

"How'd you know?" Static said.

"No disguise can hide that lonely, wandering gaze in her eyes," Batman explained. "I know it too well."

"May I ask how?" Gear asked. This time Batman shot him that look. "Oh, I guess that would be telling, wouldn't it?" Gear nervously chuckled. "I just wondered if you had a, you know, an autistic relative as well. 'Cause it would be pretty cool if we had something else in common besides the superhero thing."

Batman shook his head in frustration and sat down at his computer. "It wasn't our choice, though," Static said. "It was hers. Gear made her the device to improve her autism, and we did some fiddling with it, and now it does crazy stuff. She calls it 'magic.' The more we work with her, the more she improves. So actually this superhero gig is a good thing for her."

"I think you are lucky that she functions as well as she does."

"Well, she used to be a severe case," Gear spoke up.

"Humph. I can tell she has overcome much."

"So is that all the reason that you wanted us to come down here? Just so you can say hi to her then chew us out for making her a superhero in the first place?" Static said.

"No," Batman replied sternly. "I asked you to come down here because she is in danger." He pulled up something on his computer. "The Joker was planning to go to Dakota this afternoon on a surprise attack. He wanted to catch the Muse outside of her uniform. He was going to attack any youth function to be found in the city. Targets included daycares, parks, even the community center that I believe is run by your father."

"He probably would have got her too," Gear nodded.

"What does he want her for?" Static asked.

"Apparently he doesn't see her as much of a challenge. To the Joker, the Muse is nothing more than a little girl, and he has no problem with torturing a little girl."

"He probably knows how popular she is at home and was prepared to hold her for ransom," Static suggested.

"It's possible. I found no evidence of this."

"So what should we do?"

"You should do nothing. Lay low down here, and I will take care of Joker and Harley."

"What? We didn't come all this way just to sit around!"

"I'm not going to risk your safety. I've had more experience."

"You forget that I'm 6 and 0 to when it comes to the Joker too!"

"You've only had one encounter with him, and as I recall you weren't a huge challenge either."

"Why don't we talk to her for a minute?" Gear suggested.

"Be my guest," Batman said.

The Muse had the cape wrapped around her like a blanket and was eating cookies off a china plate. She was still singing to herself.

"Having a big ole time, Muse?" Static asked.

"Uh-huh. Would you like a cookie?" She held up the plate.

"Oh, don't mind if I do." He took a big one and took a bite. "My compliments to the chef."

"Very good, sir. I'll send your compliments to Pillsbury," Alfred muttered.

"How about you, Gear?" the Muse offered.

"No, I'm good," Gear said shaking his head.

"Batman?"

"I'm fine," he replied, "but it is kind of you to offer."

"Not at all. It was kind of you to treat me. Now where did Mr. Alfred go?"

"Alfred is not fond of sweet food. He wouldn't want one."

"OK. Hey, I was just wandering, what happened to those clowns?"

"They're cowards," Static laughed. "Right when Batman showed up, they turned tail and ran."

"Well, we better go after them. I don't know who they were, but they must be bad."

"Actually, Batman wants us to stay here. He thinks the Joker's after you."

"That's nothing new. Madelyn, Mmoatia, and Omnaura were all after me, and I beat them all."

"The Joker's not like all those enemies," Gear said. "He's more dangerous."

"So he's also a legend?"

"You could say that," Batman nodded.

"I'm not scared. I'll be with Static and Gear, and we've been a great team for years. And on top of that, we'll be with one of the greatest superheroes ever. But we got to stop them. I made a promise too, to stop nightmares like them so that children everywhere can sleep in peace. I can't forsake my promise just because some clowns are looking for me. I'll do whatever it takes to stop them."

Batman sighed. "I can't overlook such determination. You can come, but don't get out of my sight."

"Yes sir!" the Muse replied with a salute. "Oh, I guess you'll want this back." She held out his cape. Gear and Static were a little too eager to help her shake out the cookie crumbs.

"Thank you," Batman grunted as he grabbed the cape back and put it on. He went over to the Batmobile. "Come on in," he said to the Muse.

"If you please, I'd like to fly with Static."

"Muse, you fly with us every day," Static said. "Go with him. You can tell your grandkids one day that you rode in the Batmobile."

The Muse sighed. "OK," she said in a disappointed voice. She got in the car and buckled up. She was still apprehensive and wasn't keen on talking or looking at Batman. Batman nearly put a blindfold on her but decided against it. She was staring at the floor anyway.

The Muse screamed a couple of times as they were taking off, but she got used to it in time. After the got out of Batcave, Batman asked her, "So, what's it like?"

"What's what like?"

"Everything. Life."

She had no idea how to answer that question. "Well, life is good. I have a good mother and a pet rabbit. I have good friends. I have a lot of stuff that I like. I have fun being a superhero. Is that what you meant?"

"Not really. How do you feel? Are you lonely?"

"No. Static and Gear are my friends."

"But you don't live in Dakota, right? So, who are your friends when you're home?"

"Well, I have a few at church. There's a woman who's like my grandmother there."

"What about friends your age, like at school?"

"I know everybody at my school. That is, I know their names and what they look like. Sometimes I play with them, and they're fun. But they don't like to talk. I can understand. Sometimes I don't like to talk either. So I feel like I don't really know them at all, and they don't know me. I guess at home I do feel lonely sometimes. I miss my daddy still. But really, I feel ok when I'm alone too. In fact, I feel better when I'm alone than I do when I'm with people, really."

"Man, I know how that feels."

"I don't like being around a lot of people at once. That's the worst."

"Me too. What do you do when you're alone?"

"Mostly read, or listen to music, or think."

"What's usually on your mind?"

"All kinds of stuff."

"Like what?"

"Why exactly are you asking me all of these questions?"

"Because I'm trying to understand you better. I've seen many children like you, but you are the first one I have been able to talk to."

"Children like me? I don't understand."

"No, I don't think you do, but you will. Why do you not look at me? Are you scared?"

"Yeah, a little. I've always had trouble looking people in the eyes. Mommy tries to force me, but it feels so uncomfortable."

"Why? For most people, it comes naturally."

"I don't know. I guess I am a little scared. I remember when I was scared of just about everything. Now not much scares me, except for loud noises and roller coasters. I think Static and Gear taught me that."

"What made you decide to become a superhero?"

"I always loved magic. I wanted to do magic, but Mommy told me that real magic was evil. She gave me a magic kit, but that was fake magic, not the real kind that I love. Then I saw Static for the first time. He could do electric attacks, and it looked like real magic to me. I asked him if he could teach me, and he said he couldn't. But he also said he believed I had a magic of my own inside of me. And I did. So from then on I wanted to work with Static and Gear, make my magic better and do good works with it. I want to do it on my own at home, but they won't let me."

"Do you know why?"

"They say I'm not ready. I don't know when I'm going to be ready."

"I see."

After a long pause, the Muse looked up at Batman. "So how about you? What's your life like?"

"I prefer you didn't ask me that."

"Why not? You asked me."

"There's the Joker!"

The Batmobile came to a screeching holt. The Joker approached with a malicious grin smeared on his face. "Well, well, well, it's just as I suspected. The superheroes always return to the scene of the crime."

"It's criminals, Joker," Static said as he flew in, "and no crime's been committed . . . yet."

"Yes, 'yet' being the operative word."

"I'm not like some people," the Muse said. "I'm not afraid of a couple of clowns!"

The Joker stumbled back again. "If you call me that one more time, I'm really going to have to hurt you."

"Well, I know new ways to intimidate you then," Batman remarked.

"What exactly do you want?" the Muse said obstinately.

"I just want to get to know you, my dear," the Joker replied as he came closer to her.

"Then you can know me this way!" She put her hands around her pendant, and it began to glow. "MAGIC!" Fire shot out at him. Static and Gear immediately aided by throwing electric attacks and Zap Caps. Batman, of course, was doing his thing. Oddly enough, though, the Joker was not doing much to fight back. Several times he just threw his head back and laughed. "Is he crazy?" the Muse thought aloud.

"Very much so," Batman nodded.

"Where's the woman in all this?" The Muse suddenly became wary and turned around. Then she spotted something shiny on the ground. It was a wadded-up gum wrapper with no gum. "Oh," she said and put it in her pocket. Then she saw something else--a corner of a motley hat at the base of a hill. "Hey! There you are!"

"Oh crud!" the woman cried. She was holding some kind of helium container that had a balloon of the Joker's face painted on it. "Mr. J., she spotted me, and I'm not ready!"

The Joker sighed. "If you want something done," he muttered to himself.

"What's going on?" the Muse said.

"Word's been going around, Muse," the Joker answered as he pulled something out of his sleeve. "You're not afraid of much anything, except loud, sudden noises."

The thing the Joker just took out of his sleeve began to quickly inflate. Just as the Muse recognized it as the same balloon as the other clown had, it popped with a loud "BANG!" The Muse panicked and fell back. She rolled down the hill.

"Muse!" Static yelled. He used his powers to try to pull her up, but his electrical energy somehow dissipated around her. Batman tried to throw a whip around her, but she was rolling too fast.

"Nice try," the Joker sneered with a grin. "I filled that balloon with a little of my own concoction, so she's going to be with us for awhile. But she'll be back, and I promise you, she'll have a big smile on her face." He and Harley jumped onto the blimp and flew away with their captor.

"We should have never taken her along," Batman said grumpily.

"Hey, you Okayed it!" Static argued. Batman shot him a glare.

Gear said nervously, "You two can head back to HQ--I mean your HQ sir, the Batcave. I'll do a search with Backpack."

"Go ahead," Batman nodded. Gear took off. Batman got back into his Batmobile. Static tried to claim shotgun, but Batman already started his engine and roared away. Static sighed and followed on his flying disk. He had many angry thoughts on his mind.

* * *

When the Muse awoke, she found herself lying on a metallic surface in a dark, damp place. "Static? Gear?" she called groggily. "Where am I?" Her voice seemed to echo, and nobody answered. "Have I been captured?" As the shadow of bars fell on her, she sleepily collapsed. She understood. She was in a huge cage. Her wings were pinned together, and her pendant and Shock Box were gone.

"Ah! You're awake finally!" the Joker called as he approached the cage gleefully. "I was beginning to think I kidnapped Sleeping Beauty by mistake." He chuckled and the woman clown also laughed, but the Muse only looked at him curiously. "Why aren't you laughing? Don't you even know the meaning of humor?"

The Muse replied in a flat voice, "H-U-M-O-R, the quality that makes something laughable or amusing, or the ability to perceive, enjoy, or express what is amusing or comical."

"Thank you. I never found smart alecks to be very funny," the Joker scoffed.

"That was not my intention. You asked a question, I answered." When the Joker didn't answer, the Muse asked, "So, why exactly am I here? What do you want with me?"

The Joker gave her a pitiful smile, reached through the bars of the cage, and took her hand. "Oh Muse, I brought you here out of a matter of concern. You are a healthy child with a prosperous life, but in all the times I've watched you, I've never seen you smile. Now, I would understand if you were from this dump, but you're from sunny Dakota. I've been there. I'm familiar with the positive atmosphere there."

"Actually, I'm not from there. I just work there."

"Same difference, right?"

"Don't use that phrase on me, clown." The Joker withdrew his hand in disgust. "Besides, I do so smile, just not often. I don't like smiling much. It's uncomfortable."

"Oh, come now. It takes less muscles to make a smile than it does a frown."

"That's what they all say, but it doesn't change how I feel. Besides, my normal facial expression is neither a smile nor a frown. In this facial expression, aren't most of those muscles relaxed?"

"That's beside the point. I felt you were not happy enough, and I wanted to be the first to bring you a few laughs."

"So all I have to do is give you a smile? Fine." She stretched her mouth out as far as it could go. "Can I go now?" she said through gritted teeth.

"No, no, no," the Joker replied. "That won't do. It's too forced. Here, this put a happy face on many a customer."

A fine pink mist emitted from a flower on the Joker's lapel. Now the Muse had learned from Puff to never trust a gas that she could see. So she secretly changed it with her powers. "I like that," she said. "It smells like lollipops. I like lollipops. My favorite flavor is cotton candy. How about you?"

The Joker hardly paid attention. He looked at the dispenser hidden in his lapel. "Did I fill this thing with the right stuff this morning?" he asked himself.

"Yeah, Mr. J, I'm sure I saw you," the woman clown broke in.

"Harley, entertain her for the next few minutes. I'm going to refill this."

The Muse made a face as the Joker left. "You're name is Harley? Harley is a boy's name."

Harley crossed her arms. "For your information, it can go either way. Besides, it's short for Harley Quinn."

"Harley Quinn? Really? I've always wanted to meet you!"

"No kidding?"

"Yeah. See, at home, we have tons of your books, in boxes, in shelves, in the hallway, and in the attic, but Mommy says I'm not allowed to read them. Why not? Aren't they any good? The covers look interesting on some of them."

"Books? I didn't write no books, Sugar. I've haven't written anything since my abnormal psych thesis in college!"

"I don't see how could forget all the books you wrote. There must be over a hundred like 'One Night in Camelot' and 'Indian Summer,' and they all say Harley Quinn on the cover."

"Oh! Those are Harlequin Romances! Man, I wish I wrote those. I'd sure be making a pretty penny."

"So you're not--"

"Sorry."

"Oh. OK." The Muse reclined in her cage. "I've been knocked out twice in one day within an hour. That can't be good for me. Well, at least I caught up on some sleep I missed."

"Try to stay awake. Mr. J. will be so mad if you fall asleep. Here, let me see your bright, little eyes." Harley reached into the cage and lifted up the girl's head. Then she hesitated. "There's something familiar about those eyes," she muttered.

"Huh?" the Muse said. "What? Have we met?"

"I don't think so, but I recognize something about that gaze. Hmm."

"Alright," the Joker said as he came back in. "Let's try this again."

He squirted the pink mist around the Muse again. She covered her face with her arms. When the mist was gone, the Muse sniffed her wrists. "You know, you make better perfume than Puff ever could." The Joker slapped his forehead.

* * *

"Any luck Gear?" Static said into his Shock Box.

"I'm not getting a signal. Really, it doesn't surprise me. I bet the Joker confiscated her Shock Box first thing. I'm just flying around the city looking for some clue from her. You know, maybe she's practicing some of those new techniques she's been doing. How are things going in the cave?"

"Don't ask me. B-Man just sat down at his computer and started typing away. He hasn't said a word since we got here. I don't know what he's up to."

"I can't understand how she let her guard down so quickly. It's not like her."

"Well, he popped a balloon right in front of her face. You know she doesn't function well when she's scared."

"Good point."

"Well, you keep an eye out. Let us know when you see anything."

"Sure thing. Gear out."

Static looked at Batman. "I can't take this anymore!" he thought aloud. He started walking toward the computer.

Batman was quietly chuckling. "Underdog," he mumbled.

"Well, that was very out of character," Static said aloud. Batman turned around and looked at him threateningly. "Good, I finally got your attention. OK, Wayne, it's time we were straight up with each other. We both know who we are. It's time we spoke face to face, masks off." Batman gave him an even harder glare. "Uh, I mean figuratively of course."

"If you knew me that well, you would know that I'm not 'straight up' with anyone."

"Well, we gotta make an exception in this case, for the Muse's sake."

"What about it?"

"I remember when we first met. You didn't shake my hand. You didn't even say 'hi' to me! But you had knowledge and faith in my abilities. Sometimes you asked for my help. When the Muse comes over here, it's 'Oh, hello and welcome. Here, have some cookies. Here, hold my cape. Comfy? Good. Now, stay here!'"

"What's the matter, jealous?"

"No! OK, maybe a little, but I'm happy for her. But that's beside the point! You somehow know she has a disorder, so you don't think she's fit to be a superhero. Now, I'm glad you were easy on her, because Gear and I were both concerned that she was going to misinterpret your usual demeanor, but now I'm starting to think that you were being too easy on her. You didn't want her to go out to fight the Joker! You just wanted her to sit around here while you took care of it. I think you're focusing on her disability rather than her ability."

"Virgil, you're jumping to conclusions."

"Am I? Then would you please tell me what's going on here?"

"Do you know what autism literally means?"

"Well, I haven't looked it up, if that's what you mean."

"It means 'alone.' I've seen these kids. You know how it is. They're engulfed in a world created in their minds. To me, some of them look like they live in a world of nightmares. They'd do anything to get out, but they don't have the means of escape. They are not able to understand reality around them. Society does not give them solace. So they continue, alone in their worlds of despair. I know exactly how that feels."

"Had a hard childhood, huh?"

Batman ignored him. "But I got out. I found a way to fight my demons and to deal with the darkness in me. These kids aren't that lucky. The Muse is different. I've seen what she can do. She's fighting it. She's the first child I've seen who fought it successfully. She can talk about it. That's the reason I wanted her to come. That's why I didn't want the Joker to touch a hair on her head. I wanted to talk to her. I want to help her."

"You mean--?"

"That's right. I swore in my heart years ago that no child would feel the way I did. That's why I'm determined to cure autism."

"Wow. That's a pretty big task, but you the man for the job. I bet you can do it too. So, let me get this straight. You want her to be your guinea pig?"

"I didn't say that either."

"But I'm not exactly sure that the Muse entirely wants to be cured. Her powers are completely based on her imagination, and her imagination is super-sized because of her autism. If she's cured, she may not be able to be a superhero anymore."

"I'm not going to force her into anything. I'll leave that for her parent or guardian to decide. Even if they do not desire for us to study her, I can still do something to give her a better life. We were talking in the car. Do you realize that she doesn't have any friends her age?"

"No, I . . . I didn't. It maybe because she goes to a school for the underprivileged."

"That's what I thought."

"Can I ask, how is it that you know so much about autism? If it wasn't for the Muse, I may have never heard of it."

"I have an employee with an autistic son."

"I see. That would do it."

* * *

Batman wasn't the only one who was discovering the Muse's secret. The Joker was trying all of his usual tricks to torment the Muse, but he never got under her skin. Harley, meanwhile, was watching the Muse very closely, and she was sure she had seen that behavior before. She began searching all of her college notes and psychology books. The Muse, when she didn't have to face down a couple of clowns, was picking at an old gum wrapper, singing that song stuck in her head, and thinking out loud.

"Mr. J.!" Harley called out suddenly. "I found something! This is why she's not smiling. Look." She pointed to a paragraph in her psychology book. "They're well-known for their vacant expressions, often referred to as 'poker face.' I bet she doesn't even know how to smile."

"Harley, what does this have to do with anything?"

"Haven't you paid any attention to her behavior? She's never made eye contact with either of us. All afternoon, she's been picking at an old gun wrapper and talking to herself."

"There's nothing wrong with that!" the Muse yelled from the other room.

"I admit, I'm not an expert, but I had to take abnormal psych to become a criminal psychologist. I recognize these symptoms, and I'm pretty sure she's autistic. And if she is, this is pretty serious. Don't you remember that Dustin Hoffman movie?"

The Joker put his hands behind his back and looked out a window. "Dear oh dear." He had a serious, yet wistful, tone in his voice that Harley had never heard from him before. "In all my years in this profession, I've never encountered something like this. It certainly begs a large ethical question. It's bad enough that I've chosen to pick on a little girl. Should I, the Joker, pick on a little girl with a disability?" There was a great pause full of tension. Then, the Joker turned back around with a large smile on his face. "Well, of course I should! I just wouldn't be me if I didn't!" He laughed evilly. "In fact, I have a new idea. I'll get the blimp ready. You make our guest comfortable. Make sure you see to all of her needs!" He laughed again as though it was the best joke he had ever told.

Harley was terribly disturbed. She had put up with the Joker's endless eccentricities before, but she felt that this time he crossed the line. So she went to the cage. The Muse was resting on her side picking at a gum wrapper.

"Psst!" Harley whispered. "Don't tell Mr. J., but I'm going to help you bust out of here."

"Why?"

"Hey, I'm kinda fond of you, kid. You did confuse me with a world-class novelist, after all." Harley got into to cage and started to fiddle with the pin holding the Muse's wings together. "Man, this is more complicated than it looks. Don't worry, I almost got it."

"Harley!" the Joker called.

Harley groaned and shook her head. "We'll have to leave it like that. I hope it'll do."

"Thank you," the Muse whispered. "Guess I owe you one."

"Ooh! Can me and Mr. J. not get locked up?"

"I don't think I can do that. You still got to answer for what you've done."

"Fine. Just don't tell Mr. J."

"I won't." Harley pretended to twist the Muse's arm behind her back, but she was really trying to undo that pin. They got in the blimp, and Harley forced the Muse into a corner. The Joker made the blimp go as fast as it could go and as high as it could go.

"You sure this is safe, Puddin'?" Harley asked nervously.

"No, but that's the idea," he gleefully replied.

"You're going to blow us up?" the Muse nearly screamed.

"Even better." The Joker turned to her. "You're going straight down from here. The speed of your fall should lift the corners of your mouth right up."

"But you're going to kill me!"

"Mr. J., reconsider please!" Harley begged. "This isn't Batman here! She doesn't even live in Gotham!"

The Joker ignored her and pushed the Muse to the deck. The Muse hesitated. "What's wrong?" the Joker chuckled. "Are you afraid of heights?"

"No, I'm not afraid of heights. I like heights. I just don't like falling from them."

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that. And by that I mean--HAPPY LANDINGS!" He pushed her off.

The Muse screamed, but then she noticed the pin came free. She got her concentration back right before she reached the ground and took off. She flew back into the sky, high above the clouds. "Now, I need to get a hold of the guys, let 'em know I'm ok, but I don't have my Shock Box. How do I do this again? Oh yeah. I got an idea." She flew toward the blimp. "Hey clown! What's the one thing that Gotham needs more than anything?"

"I'm not the Riddler! Get your Gotham villains straight!" he yelled back at her.

"But riddles are jokes, aren't they? I'd thought you'd like it. Oh well." She cupped her hands and created a small point of light. It kept growing and growing. It made the Muse glow. Then with a battle cry, she released the light in a flame blazing through the entire sky. It was so brilliant that nearly every resident of Gotham looked up, wondering if the sun had finally decided to come out.

"Holy phoenix!" Gear remarked when he saw it. He immediately paged Static. "Batman really needs to turn on the visual on his computer."

Batman did so. "Whoa!" Static remarked. "That kinda looks like a Bat Signal with bling-bling. She knows how to do it."

"Like someone else I know," Batman noted.

"Yeah," Static said bashfully.

"Why are you still standing there? We need to move."

"Oh that's right. WE'RE COMING, MUSE!" he yelled at the screen. Then he turned to Batman. "Can I get shotgun this time?"

"I guess," he sighed.

Meanwhile, the Joker was trying to block the light with his arm, but he was still sufficiently dazzled. "Oh, that's a headache that will never go away. But how could she--?" He pulled out the pendant from his breast pocket.

"Thank you," the Muse said as she used her magic to get it out of his hand. Just then Batman's plane soared over her head. As the wind opened and revealed Static, she asked innocently, "What took you so long?"

"You're influencing her already," he told Batman unenthusiastically.

Batman jumped onto the blimp's deck and began a fight with the Joker. Static took on Harley. Gear and the Muse waited on the sidelines. There was one point that Batman was losing energy, and the Muse came in and helped. After just a few attacks, the Joker did something unbelievable--he gave up. "I'm tired, and I'm getting old. I don't care what you do. Just get that kid out of my hair!"

"OK, I call the police then," Gear said once he got over the shock.

Just moments later, everybody was back on the ground. The Joker and Harley were being shoved into a police car. The Muse approached Batman in shame. "Batman, I, I, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have had let my guard down. Static said if I messed up once, you'd never really trust me again. I was trying to do my best, believe me. No, I could have done better."

Batman knelt to her level. "Don't worry about it."

"You sure?"

"Yes. I think you intimidated the Joker a little bit. That's impressive. I thought only I could intimidate him. In fact, Muse, I want to tell you something. I don't say this often, but I'm saying it because I really mean it."

"What is it?"

He put his hand on her shoulder and whispered, "I'm proud of you."

She answered by putting her arms around him in a hug. He looked surprised, but he gently put his arms around her. "Batman, you're the best fr--er, ally a superhero can know." Then she turned around. "Gear, you're helmet's all fogged up."

"Yeah," Gear replied with a choked-up voice. "It sure gets humid down here in the summer."

"Muse, do me a favor." Batman pulled out of his cape a white envelope. "Give this to your mother."

"OK. What is it?"

"Let me put it this way. You and I are probably going to see each other again sooner than you think. You won't know it when it happens, but this young man will let you know. Right Virgil?"

"Yes sir," Static saluted.

The Muse investigated the envelope, still trying to find some clue of what it contained. "Well, alright. Thank you--hey, where did he go? He left while I was talking to him. That's rude!"

"Oh, that's just his way," Static explained.

"But he didn't even say goodbye."

"Look, if it bothers you so much, next time you see him, don't take your eyes off him for a second," Gear advised.

"So, tell us," Static said, "what was it like to hold Batman's cape?"

"It wasn't very warm," the Muse answered. "It was thin and full of bullet holes. But I liked it. It felt like a jacket."

"But didn't you take in the gravity of the situation? I mean, I bet he never allowed any of the Robins to even tough his cape."

"Yeah. You know, I thought about it, and I began to wonder if that was how Elisha felt like when Elijah put his cloak on him in the Bible. Then I though, yes, it must been have been. After all, Elijah's cloak was also very holy."

Gear and Static both laughed uncontrollably. The Muse started to laugh with them. "That was great, Muse!" Gear remarked. "Hey, I think that was the first time you told a joke and knew it."

"I guess that's what you get from hanging out with a couple of clowns all day," she answered.

"Well, let's go home."

"Hey, Muse, can I see that real quick?" Static said as he pointed to the envelope.

"OK." She handed it to him.

"We're going on," Gear said.

"Yeah, I'll catch up with you."

Static watched them take off then created a small spark of light on the tip of his finger. He held his finger up to the envelope and could faintly see a pamphlet through the envelope reading, "The Bruce Wayne Autism Research Center--We Will Find a Cure." And even fainter than that, Static could make out a very tiny bat-shaped device in the corner of the envelope.

Next Episode--More Important Than Knowledge: Wonder Woman comes to the Muse with news of a threat that endangers imagination around the world. What ensues is a journey of a lifetime, with several guest appearances from members of the Justice League and Teen Titans.


	8. More Important than Knowledge, Part I

Episode 8: More Important than Knowledge, Part I

Note: Justice League and Teen Titans are both products of Warner Brothers and possibly DC Comics. If there are any die-hard Wonder Woman fans out there reading this, please understand that I probably got some details horribly wrong. I've done a little research, but I'm making up a lot of stuff too.

It was a crisp autumn day in mid October. Static and Gear had just finished a long afternoon on patrol when Gear noticed something unusual at their headquarters.

"Static, you see that?"

He pointed to a futuristic-looking plane sitting just outside the gas station. On the side were two large letters–JL.

"The Justice League!" Static cried. "You think they need us again?"

"I don't know. They usually make more of an entrance than this." Gear sniffed the air. "Do you smell spice?"

"Yeah, something does smell perfumey. Who knew somebody could cover the smell of old gasoline? I'll go check it out. You see if anybody's lingering around the plane." Gear nodded and they split up. "Hello?" Static called. "Anybody in here–WHOOOA!"

Static backed out of gas station slowly. "What's wrong?" Gear said.

Static replied by pointing a shaking finger at the door. He tried to say what he saw, but he could only manage the first letter. "W . . . W . . . Wa Wa W . . . W . . ."

"What is it, boy? You say little Timmy fall in the well?" Gear quipped.

Static slowly shook his head as he continued to stutter, "W . . . W . . . Wha . . . Wha . . ."

"Let me see." He pushed ahead of Static and stopped short. Sitting "Indian Style" on the floor in front of a small fire of burning incense, was the only Justice League founder Static and Gear had not previously met–Wonder Woman. "Oh."

"Wa WHA!" Static cried

"Get your act together, Static. You know how she feels about men, and you're not helping at the moment."

"She's so . . . she so . . . "

"Let me handle this," Gear grunted. He approached the guest superhero. "Greetings, Princess. Welcome to our humble hideout. It's not quite the Watchtower, but it does the job. Now, is there anything we can do to help you?"

She opened her eyes and looked up at Gear. "I have come to invoke your muse."

"Uh, no problem," Static spoke up. "I'm the best writer in our grade. After all, I share the name of a famous epic poet."

She looked at him in interest. "Homer?"

"D'OH!" Gear laughed at Static's comic outburst. Their guest evidently didn't get the joke. "Not Homer, but very close," Static replied. "So, what do you want me and my muse to do?"

"Static," Gear said, "I think she meant the Muse."

"Oh, yeah. She's not here."

"She's not?" Wonder Woman got to her feet. "Well, where is she?"

"During Muse-Off-Season, also known as the school year, she's at her hometown," Gear explained.

"And where is that?"

"Well, you know, she's a superhero. She's got a secret identity that we're partly in charge of protecting. We can't divulge something like that."

"It's important. A heavy unrest will lie upon the whole world if she does not do something soon."

"Well, is there anyway we can help you?" Static offered.

"No."

"She probably wants a girl," Gear whispered.

"Oh, right. Well, if it's really important and you really need the Muse–"

"It is, and I do," Wonder Woman interrupted.

"–we have the means of getting in touch with her. In fact, she usually calls us around this time to talk about–oh, there she is right now." He picked up his beeping Shock Box. "Hey girl!"

"Hi Static," Precious' voice came over the box.

"Hey, I got a surprise for you!"

"Really? What is it?"

"Someone very special wants to talk to you."

"Who?"

Static quickly handed Wonder Woman the Shock Box. "Go ahead, say hi," he advised.

"It is an honor to speak to you, Muse," she said. "I am Diana, Princess of the Amazons, and I come to–"

"Wow, a real princess?" Precious broke in. "I've never spoken to royalty before."

Gear quickly got on his Shock Box. "Don't you realize who this is? She's better known as Wonder Woman, and she's a member of the Justice League!"

"The Justice League? What's that?"

"Only the powerhouse of superheroes!" Static answered as he took his Shock Box back. "Many of the greatest are members, including Batman and Superman."

"Whoa. Is Underdog a member?"

"Uh . . . no."

Wonder Woman grabbed the Shock Box back. "I need your help."

"What do you want me to do for you?"

"My mother Hippolyta sent me an urgent plea from Themyscira regarding your people."

"Your mother? You mean the queen, right?"

"Yes, of course. You know that the Muses are separated from my people, the Amazons, because of the sacred forest between our camps. Therefore, Mother does not know exactly what is wrong, but she fears something dreadful."

"How do you know that there is something wrong?"

"She says that the magic spring from your camp now flows with a strange kind of water. Drinking it has filled the Amazons with great unease. They sleep too deeply and rarely dream, thus their nights are unrestful. They cannot compose new music or dance. It must mean that the Muses have been unable to work their magic on the stream, and it has now filled with something terrible. Will you help them?"

"I will–"

"Wait a minute!" Static interrupted. "I thought you said this was a worldwide crisis situation."

Wonder Woman looked at him in defiance. "Well, the stream from the Muses' camp flows to ours, and it dumps into the ocean. Therefore–"

"OK, alright, we get it," Gear said.

"So, Muse, as I was saying . . ."

"I'd be happy to do it, your majesty. So when can we all go?"

"Mother allowed me to deliver you to the island as soon as I could. I would ask you to come right away, but as you are in another town, I could probably arrange for you to be picked up tomorrow."

"Maybe Static and Gear can leave with you tonight and get the job started."

"NO! Do you not remember the law? Men are forbidden in Themyscira!"

"What? Why? That law does not make any sense. It's stupid!"

Wonder Woman's eyes flared. "It is the most sacred law of the land. I was exiled because I violated that law. It's far from stupid. I thought you would know that."

"But I always work with Static and Gear!"

"It's ok, Muse," Gear said. "Shebang would probably not mind going with you. You're used to her."

"'Fraid not," Static said. "She's out of town again. I think she said she was going to a science fair with her folks."

"But if the princess is exiled, she can't come back," Precious reasoned. "So . . . I have to go alone? I don't want to be alone!" Her voice was starting to crack, sounding as though she was beginning to cry.

"Don't be displeased, Muse!" Wonder Woman said more gently. "I believe I can arrange for some guides for you."

"You will?" Precious sniffed.

"Yes. There are some very formidable females I have heard of that also have unique powers that they used to promote justice. But you must understand, even they may not be able to accompany you for the whole journey."

"Why not?"

"You shall see soon."

"You know, there are some problems. My uniform is with Static and Gear, and Mommy still doesn't know that I'm a superhero."

"We'll have it all taken care of. Don't worry. Take your rest now, and I will send for you tomorrow."

"OK. I'm looking forward to it. Oh, wait! Who are you thinking of coming with me?"

Wonder Woman paused. "I will let you know when I get them to commit."

"Alright, until then."

Wonder Woman switched off the Shock Box and handed it back to Static. "Now, will you please tell me where I can find her?"

"Batman probably has her address by now," Static answered.

"Batman? We never told Batman where she lived," Gear argued.

"Trust me, he knows," Static replied in a low tone.

"Thank you, young men," Wonder Woman said with a small bow. "You have been very helpful."

"Anytime," Static called after her as she walked out. "Well, that doesn't happen every day," Static observed.

"You can say that again," Gear nodded.

"That again," Static snickered. "You know, I got the feeling that she thought the Muse was a real muse."

"So?"

"So, she's not!"

"I think we should go ahead and indulge her. Who else is she going to find?"

"But this maybe too big a task for our Muse! She's not a goddess!"

"Well, who knows? If there are real muses, they may not be as powerful as Diana's people believe them to be. I don't think she came to the Muse because they have a Greek connection. I think she heard about her powers and thought that she was capable of doing, whatever this is."

The next day, mid-afternoon, there was a knock on the door of a small house in Metropolis. Claire Llewellyn Foley opened the door to see a giant of a man. "Hello?"

"Yes, is this the Foley residence?" he said as he glanced down at a card in his hand.

"It is. What can I do for you?"

"Hi," he said extending his hand. "I'm Clark Kent."

"Clark Kent, the newspaper reporter for the Daily Planet?"

"The very same."

"Well, welcome! I'm Claire Foley. I used to love your articles. You wrote with such details. It was almost like you experienced everything Superman experienced."

"Well, I just tried to do the best I could."

"Why don't you come in for some coffee?"

"I would love to."

Claire brought him into their kitchen and poured him a cup of coffee. "So, where have you been lately? You seemed to have left town along with your favorite subject. Did you get transferred?"

"Well, you could say I got promoted."

"Oh, good for you. Have you ever considered writing a novel?"

"I don't think I'd be very good fiction." He began to laugh. "Sorry, something just tickled my ankle."

"Oh, that's our pet rabbit, Grint."

Clark looked down to see a rabbit with an apple cider-colored coat scratching and sniffing his sock. "Grint? That's a strange name for a rabbit."

"My daughter named him. I think it's a tribute to a young actor."

"Oh yes. I've actually come to talk about your daughter. I understand she's a special child."

"Are you talking about her disability?"

"No ma'am. I'm talking about her ability."

Precious heard a voice she didn't recognize. She came out of her room and looked down from the banister. She couldn't see the visitor, but she could hear his voice just a little more clearly. It seemed he was talking about some kind of workshop for Precious to help her develop her creativity.

"Out of curiosity, does this have anything to do with the ARC?" Claire asked.

"The what?"

"The Bruce Wayne Autism Research Center in Gotham City. Precious gave me a pamphlet about it a few months ago. It sounded reputable, so I filled it out and mailed it in. And you'll never guess what happened. Bruce Wayne, the billionaire himself, called my house and spoke to me. I'm not sure if that man's a class act or if he just really wants my business, I mean my money."

"I'd have faith in him if I were you. I know the man quite well. I can tell you, when he's passionate about something he sees it to the end, and he is really passionate about this. But to answer your question, he does support this workshop."

"Good. Maybe I should invest some time into it. So, when is it?"

"Now I know this is going to be hard for you to hear. It's this weekend."

"Only this weekend?"

"I'm afraid so. It's our fault that we're telling you about this so late, so you don't have to worry about paying a cent."

"I can't let her go this weekend! What are you . . ." Suddenly she paused. She felt a strange sensation wash over her head, and she lost her train of thought. "Well . . . ok . . . yeah. I'll let her go."

"You sure?"

"But I need her back by Sunday morning. I'm a Bible school teacher."

"Don't worry, we'll bring her back here by Saturday night."

"Great." Then with a distracted, confused look on her face, she rose from her chair. "I know it's rude to leave so suddenly on a guest, but I just remembered that I . . . forgot to buy milk earlier today. I really must get it before the store closes, so if you don't mind."

"That's fine."

"Just lock the door on your way out." She grabbed her keys and looked at Clark seriously. "Tell her to be careful."

"No problem, ma'am." As she left, Clark looked across the room. A green-skinned man in a cape phased in. "Good work, J'Onn."

"It was not all my doing," the Martian replied. "She seemed more trusting than she let on. For instance, it was not I who gave her the idea of the milk."

"That is unusual. Well, I supposed we're going to have to figure that out later. Hey, PRECIOUS!" he called up. Precious ran down the stairs. "It's time to go."

"Excuse me, sir, who are you?" she asked.

The man answered with a smile. He took off his glasses and started to tear open his shirt. Underneath was an emblem of a red and gold S.

"SUPERMAN!" Precious gasped in awe.

"That's right," the visitor nodded.

"You're from Metropolis too!"

"Yes. I was so excited when I heard that you were from here."

"Did you know you saved Mommy once? Her family was going to her grandmother's house for Thanksgiving, and their car went off the road, and you saved her!"

"Wow. Funny how things work out. Here, I want you to meet J'Onn J'Onzz."

The Martian came forth and offered his hand. "Pleasure," he said.

"John Jones? That's not a very unusual name for a superhero."

"It is once you consider that he's from Mars," Superman explained.

"Mars? Wow, we're not alone. That's so cool."

"Well, come on. Time's wasting." Superman led Precious out, locking the door behind them. Then he led her to a secret location where they were hiding the Justice League airplane.

"Where's the princess?" Precious asked in confusion.

"Diana has gone to look for the guides she promised you. We are to rendezvous with them at the Dakota gas station," J'Onn explained.

"OK. Do either of you know the guides she has chosen?"

"She didn't talk to me about it," Superman answered. "I thought she was going to bring Hawkgirl, and I was quite surprised that Hawkgirl didn't even hear about it."

"I thought about it all night. That's what I'm most excited about. I think she's going to get the Powerpuff Girls. I hope so. I've been huge fans of theirs for a long time."

The Muse asked Superman and J'Onn all about the Justice League. The more she heard, the more excited she was. They reached Dakota in about half an hour. Once she got to the gas station, she hopped out and ran straight to her friends. "Guys, they told me everything! Man, the Justice League is so cool!"

"You ought to see the Watchtower, their headquarters," Static said. "We've been there once, and it's awesome!"

"I want to be in the Justice League when I become a superhero by myself."

"We probably will be," Gear said.

"Yeah, and maybe one day the gas station will just be a front for the biggest, coolest lab that would even make Dexter jealous," Static suggested.

"What makes you think we'd do that?" Gear asked.

Static shrugged. "Well, you never know what the future holds. But until then, we're in a league of our own, right?" Everybody laughed.

"Better get in uniform, kid," Superman suggested. "Diana ought to be here any minute. J'Onn and I have to get going."

"Alright. Well, it was nice meeting you. Thanks for everything," Precious said.

"No problem. I was very glad to finally meet you. Looks like my hometown's in good hands."

So Superman and J'Onn J'Onzz promptly left. Precious changed into her costume, and Wonder Woman showed up just minutes later. The Muse gave a small gasp when she saw Wonder Woman for the first time. "Oh my, I didn't know I was going to go swimming! Why didn't I pack more?"

The warrior princess met the Muse with disappointment. "You are the Muse?"

"Here to serve you, Princess."

The Muse knelt before the guest, thus didn't see the frown on her face. "Whatsa matter?" Gear spoke up.

"I had hoped that she was a real muse, a visitor from Themyscira like me. I gathered that impression from everything I have heard about her. Now I see that I am mistaken."

"What do you mean?" the Muse asked.

Wonder Woman looked almost disdainfully at her. "Muses don't have wings."

"They do so! They have large, colorful butterfly wings! At least they do in the Song of the Muse series by Owen Summers. The color of their wings change depending on which kind of muse they want to become. I wanted wings like that, but they wouldn't hold me."

"That almost sounds like a joke. I've seen real muses, and they are not cute, little pixies!"

"Look, we suggested she have wings," Gear spoke up. "Static and I both fly, and we wanted her to keep up with us."

"Yeah, excuse us for choosing her mode of transportation," Static said.

"But look, that shouldn't be the important thing. Don't judge her by her wings, but by her skills."

"You're right. I still believe she is the perfect girl for the job. I may be a little upset, but that's alright. So, are you ready?"

"OK."

"Hey Muse," Static said. "There's nothing in that law that says you can't talk to us. Remember, if you ever feel like you need some encouragement, Gear and I are just a Shock Box away."

"Good thing I remembered to bring it. I'll miss you guys."

"You'll be fine," Gear said. "We'll be rooting for you over here."

Precious got on the plane, and Static and Gear looked at each other. "Her first job without us," Static said as he brushed a metaphorical tear from his eye. "They grow up so fast!"

"So, where are they guides you selected?" the Muse asked eagerly. "It's the Powerpuff Girls, right?"

"Well, they were my first choice, but . . ."

"They were busy," the Muse said in disappointment.

"I'm sorry. They were fighting one of their most formidable villains. But I was able to procure two powerful young superheroes that I have been interested in meeting for a long time. They're both from the Titans."

"Oh. I know some boys at Church that are huge fans of the Titans. They like to wear these light blue and white shirts that say 'George' and 'McNair.'"

"No, that's a football team called the Tennessee Titans. This is a team of superheroes called the Teen Titans."

"Oh yeah! That's that group that Batman's sidekick Robin's in charge of! Is Robin . . . wait, is Robin a boy or a girl?"

"A boy."

"Oh."

"Well, come on. I'll introduce you." Wonder Woman led her into the cockpit. A tall girl was standing by the door waiting. She wore a skimpy purple outfit. She had waist-long red hair, mysterious green-on-green eyes, and one of the hugest smiles that the Muse had ever seen. "This is Starfire."

Starfire immediately threw her arms around the Muse's shoulders. "It gladdens my heart to make a new friend!"

The Muse was very surprised with Starfire's sudden greeting, and she did not hug back. She backed away finally and said, "Same here."

Just beyond Starfire's shoulder was another girl. She was very pale. She wore a dark outfit of black, navy blue, and dark purple. She was levitating just a few inches above the floor, her eyes closed, as she chanted something under her breath. "And this is Raven," Wonder Woman said.

The Muse immediately went into reciting, "Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, / Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore / While I nod–"

"While I appreciate the poetry of Edgar Allan Poe, I must ask you to stop," Raven croaked. "You are interfering with my meditation."

"Sorry," the Muse said, her head bowed in shame.

"OK," Wonder Woman said. "Everybody buckle up. We got a few hours before we get there. I want to take a little time so that you all can get to know each other."

"Here Muse," Starfire chimed eagerly. "Sit next to me."

"OK," she answered as she buckled in. She and Starfire talked for most of the trip. The Muse told her all about Static, Gear, SheBang, and Rubberband Man, and Starfire in turn described all the absent members of the Titans. The Muse got very excited when she heard about Beast Boy.

"So, he's like a real-life animagus?"

Starfire cocked a curious eyebrow. "What is an . . . animagus?"

"Haven't you heard of Harry Potter?"

"I do not know. Does he make furry vases?"

The Muse couldn't stop herself from giggling. She thought Starfire was making a joke. Starfire did not look offended, just very lost. "I do not understand what you find so humorous."

"It's Harry Potter, a name, not hairy potter. It's a book series about a young wizard, and an 'animagus' is mentioned in it as a wizard who can turn into an animal."

"I see. Well, then I suppose that Beast Boy is."

Then they traded some of their favorite adventures and described their most troublesome enemies. After a while, their conversations became more personal. Starfire talked a little about life was like on her planet, and she asked the Muse about some of her interests.

"I had no idea that there were people on Earth with blue skin," Starfire said with intrigue.

"I think they're the only three. Sometimes I wonder if they're aliens, because they don't act like anything on Earth. But that doesn't matter to me. What matters is they make good music."

"I do believe I have heard of famous musicians with blue skin from a small planet in the same system as mine. What were they again?" She talked about this mysterious band, but the Muse wasn't listening. She turned and looked at Raven, who was still whispering to herself and floating just off the ground. "Muse? What troubles you?" Starfire finally asked.

"She's still . . . still . . . doing that thing."

"Raven meditates much of the day. It helps her control her emotions and her powers."

"But she won't let me talk to her when she's doing that. I want to get to know her as well as I did you, but I don't want to make her mad."

"Perhaps if you offer to join her, she will open to you. That is one of the ways of how I got to know her."

"I don't know how, though."

"She will be glad to show you. If all else fails, do what she does."

"And when I sit like that, my feet always fall asleep."

Starfire pulled her leg up and looked amazed. "Feet sleep? Do they snore?"

The Muse laughed again and shook her head. "I'll give it a try." She got up and approached Raven. "Uh, Raven? I, uh, um, um, er, uh, um, um, um–"

"Do you have a tongue or don't you?" Raven asked impatiently.

"Yes," the Muse answered embarrassed.

"Then use it to speak, or don't use it at all."

"I was . . . I was just, uh, wondering if you wouldn't mind if I uh, if I joined you in your . . . thing."

"I see no harm in it, if you remain quiet."

"Could you, could you please show me how?"

"Very well. Sit like this."

"But when I sit 'Indian style,' my feet fall asleep."

"Trust me, in a minute that's not going to matter. Clear your mind of all thoughts, your heart of all emotions."

"OK, I'll try."

"It usually helps to close your eyes."

"Alright."

"Now, center all of your attention on these three words: Azerath, Metrion, Zinthos."

"A-Z-A . . . A-X-E-R . . . M-E-T-E . . . Z-I. . . X . . . Excuse me, Raven, but what do those words mean?"

"Meaning is both pointless and irrelevant."

"That's not true! Without meaning, how can a word function?"

"The words you just uttered, 'um' and 'uh,' have no meaning, but they do have a function. They give your brain a chance to pause as it attempts to think of the right word, a task it could just as well do if you were QUIET!"

"OK." The Muse decided to let the matter drop, thinking that it was probably some sort of spell, and spell words didn't have to make sense to work. She said those three meaningless words, but she kept stuttering and she couldn't keep in sync with Raven. After several minutes, the Muse felt like she was about to fall asleep, and her mouth was dry. Her brain kept wandering off, so the meditation wasn't doing much for her. Without interrupting Raven, she got up and returned to her seat. Once again, she lowered her head in shame.

"Now why is your face full of sadness?" Starfire gently asked.

"She doesn't like me."

"That is not true! This is just the way Raven is. If she gets too emotional, her powers lose control. She does not seem cold because she is cruel or because she does not care."

"But she acts as though I have upset her."

"Even if you have, I would not be troubled. Raven is not one to hold a grudge . . . usually."

The plane stared to descend. "We're here," Wonder Woman announced.

It was night when they landed. A woman wearing a white Grecian dress and holding a torch was waiting for them. Wonder Woman greeted her warmly as they got off the plane. "Mother!"

"Diana, my little sun and stars!" the woman answered as she hugged the princess.

Wonder Woman turned to the guests. "I present Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons." All three guests bowed low. "Mother, I have come with the help I have promised and even more. This is the Muse, accompanied by Raven and Starfire."

Hippolyta held her torch up to the Muse. "This is the one called the Muse? What sacrilege! She cannot be a muse! She has wings!"

"She works with young men who don't know any better, Mother. They suggested that she have wings. Besides, do muses not have the power to appear in any form they wish?"

"Perhaps, who can say? Even if they do, I doubt they would ever appear as this travesty!"

As they continued to argue, the Muse felt full of shame and began to cry. Seeing the sorrow in the Muse's eyes, Starfire quickly interjected, "Your majesty, please do not judge our new friend with your eyes alone. After all, is it not the heart that makes a hero?"

"Don't forget the mind," the Raven solemnly added.

"They have a point, Mother," Wonder Woman nodded. "She may or may not be a real muse, but my closest colleagues in the Justice League are amazed at her courage, power, and innocence. I am certain she has all the skills needed to make it through the forest, but even if she does not these other two will graciously aid her where she lacks."

"Very well," Hippolyta nodded. "I should not have gotten angry. At times as grim as these, we should take all the help we can get. And I know I should accept with faith the help my daughter gives me. Thank you, Diana."

"You are welcome, Mother." Wonder Woman bowed, and then she approached the three girls. "I must leave now. Hera be with all of you." So saying, she got back on the plane and took off.

"Why did she have to leave so soon?" the Muse asked.

"I allowed her to come here to bring you," Hippolyta answered. "However, by being here she violates her banishment. That's why she must leave."

"Oh yes, that's because of that law, that–"

But before she could say what she thought of that law, Starfire spoke again. "Your majesty, would you please tell us the situation? Your daughter explained it to us, but she spoke too quickly. I do not feel I completely understand."

"What did she tell you?" the queen asked.

"She said that somehow your water supply was poisoned, your people are sick, and you fear for the safety of a group of people just upstream," Raven replied.

"That is not quite what she said," Starfire argued.

"It is when you look past the poetic language," Raven answered.

"No, it is much more than that," Hippolyta answered. "You three are due for a better explanation. Come with me." She led the guests to the metropolis of her city. "Themyscira is known as the home of the Amazons, but few know of the true nerve center of this island. We share the island with a community of muses. You can't see it now, but they live just beyond the city in a huge forest. We do not visit them regularly, for their forest is full of trials that are difficult to pass. They do not come to us, for it is the same for them. It is said that these tests were placed by our creator to prove the traveler worthy of living on the other side. Therefore, the muses almost live on an island to themselves."

"Why is that?" the Muse asked.

"Because both of our people are blessed with different magical secrets. This is why the muses are so mysterious. We understand little about them. They are all women, just like we Amazons, but as we devote our lives to strength and agility, they are devoted to art and innovation. We help each other, of course. We Amazons do all we can to protect them. They repay us by supplying water. A stream flows from their forest, to here, and dumps in the ocean. They purify it so that is clearer than crystal, but they do more that. They put their magic art into the water and inspire us to create. They are responsible for the beautiful buildings you see around you and the designs of the clothes we wear, the music we make, even the food. Their contributions help make life joyful."

Hippolyta walked over to a fountain, now dry, with the fountainhead of a golden fish. "About a week ago, we noticed something was wrong. The water did not taste quite as sweet as it once did. We thought nothing of it. Then we felt restless. Slowly, a strange feeling began to creep in. Painters neglected their paintings. Musicians stopped playing. Dancers forgot every step. Several of my subjects told me that they wanted to work no longer, but somehow I knew that was not true. As time passed, everyone was affected. We all dreamt terrible nightmares whenever we slept. And our water grew worse. Look at it now."

She pushed a pump, and water with a black tinge to it gurgled out of the fish's mouth. The very sight of it made the Muse gag. It had a musty smell to it. Starfire held her nose. "I have not smelled liquid with such a powerful stench since I visited the sulphur pools on Alpha IV."

"The muses would not let their water get in this condition," Hippolyta said. "The spring is their pride and joy, for they share it with us. That is why we fear foul play."

"If it is so important, why did you not send your own people to investigate?" Raven asked glumly.

"But I have. Most of the Amazons I sent could not pass all the tests and were sent back to us. There were a few that never came back to us."

"So you think that whatever attacked the muses got them too?" Starfire asked.

"Exactly. That is why I asked for help from the outside world. Will you help us?"

"Of course!" the Muse answered. "This is what I promised I'd do, rid the world of nightmares."

"Everyone needs sweet dreams, music, happiness, and poetry to describe it all," Starfire added. "I will gladly help you."

"While I think such pleasures are pointless, they are somehow needed to maintain order," Raven assessed. "You can depend on my aid."

"Hera bless all three of you!" Hippolyta said joyfully. "We have a feast prepared. Though it may not be very enjoyable, it shall surely sustain you and give you strength for the long journey. Then you may rest for as long as you need. Once you are ready, I will lead you to the forest."

The Muse thought the feast was enjoyable and delicious. She'd never had roasted lamb before, and the baklava served for dessert was sumptuous. She only didn't like fetta cheese much because of the texture. Starfire loved it and ate it like mashed potatoes, but then again she drank olive oil as though it were a beverage. Raven made few comments about her meal, except to say that at least it wasn't tofu. The only really bad thing was the mood. Perhaps it was because it was so late at night, but the large dining hall was so unearthly quiet. The young girls who served them hardly spoke, and they never smiled. They looked sickly and pale, as though they had not slept in days.

Then the three young heroes were led to a room with three cots. The Muse was very tired after such a huge meal, but she tossed and turned the whole time. The windows were closed tightly so that no light would be let in, but the Muse woke early anyway. Or at least she felt she did. Starfire and Raven's cots were empty.

The Muse groggily got up and looked for her friends. "They're probably already heading toward the forest by now," she thought. It didn't take her long to find Starfire. She was standing on the shore and looking out to the ocean. "Good morning, Starfire."

"Oh! Greetings," she replied as though she was caught off guard. She turned back to the ocean.

"What is it?"

"I am . . . contemplating." She looked down at a round device in her hand with a T painted on it.

"OK. Do . . . do you want to talk about it?"

"I miss my friends. I wish they could come as well."

"Yeah, I know. That stupid law–"

"Please do not say such things!"

"Why not? It doesn't make any sense, and it only caused us frustration!"

"I understand that it seems senseless to us, but I have learned many things from observing people of Earth. All such laws, no matter how senseless they seem, make sense to others and serve strong purposes. They are never stupid. There are many rules and laws on earth that my people would find laughable on my planet. You see?"

"OK, but still, it really hurts."

"I know. How was your slumber?"

"Not good. I always have trouble sleeping in a different place. I never remembered falling asleep."

"Oh, you slept," Raven's voice said behind her. "You snored."

Again, the Muse bowed her head and apologized. "Are you sure it was not me?" Starfire asked. "I have heard that my race have extra-loud snores at times."

"Don't worry about it," Raven answered. "I found somewhere where I could rest in peace."

"Good," the Muse nodded, not catching Raven's morbid reference at all. "So, we are all awake. Should we go?"

"My mind is prepared," Raven nodded.

"I feel all is in readiness," Starfire affirmed.

"Then let's go get Queen Hippolyta."

Hippolyta was indeed waiting for the girls. She led them to a large grove of trees. "This is where I must leave you. Just follow the stream at your feet. It will lead you directly to the muses' home."

"Your majesty, I was pondering," Starfire spoke up, "what tests should we expect?"

"That I cannot say. It is part of the test to face the unknown." She handed a bundle to the Muse. "Here is some food and other supplies, if you ever have need of them."

"Thank you," the superheroes nodded.

"No, thank you. May Hera guide you and all of the goddesses on Mount Olympus look down on you in favor."

"Oh, they don't have to bother," the Muse said. "My God will watch over us."

Hippolyta looked confused by this sudden statement, but she nodded. "Very well."

Slowly, the three heroines entered into the forest. The Muse gasped in surprise. On the onset, it looked quite ordinary with trees and wildlife. Yet there was something about it, maybe the organization or the smells in the air. Somehow, the Muse knew.

"I've been here before."

Both Starfire and Raven shared a look of surprise. Neither said anything for a moment. Then Starfire stammered out, "I, I do not know how that could be possible."

"I know! I've never flown down to Themyscira or anywhere else. I've never seen real muses, if there are any. But I just know I've been here before. I feel like I came here several times, but I can't remember when or why or how or who brought me here."

Starfire was still dumbfounded. "This is truly wondrous." She put her hand on the trunk of a nearby tree with blue leaves. "I did not know these existed on earth."

"Have you been here too, Starfire?"

"I do not recall, but it feels so familiar."

"It must be part of the test," Raven answered. "Queen Hippolyta told us the muses have powers that influence the mind. Somehow, they are making you see these woods as a place where you feel comfortable. Do not become too accustomed to it. You might let your guard down."

"OK." The Muse wasn't sure if she understood. If the muses were really reading minds and were taking a memory for the woods to emulate, why did they choose her memory? Where did this memory come from? How did she come here the first time? Maybe it wasn't really a memory at all. Maybe she was seeing a composite of scenery that she read or that she saw in movies or RPGs. Yeah, that made more sense.

"We won't get anywhere if we just stand here and look," Raven reminded them.

"Oh, right," the Muse nodded. "The stream. There it is. Let's go."

Well, I decided to take Antimatter Manticore's advice and make this a two-parter. I didn't want to, but at the rate I've been writing this would have been one monster chapter. I felt like I've kept you guys waiting long enough.

So, sometime soon, I'll be back with the rest of this.


	9. More Important than Knowledge, Part II

More Important than Knowledge Part II

The Muse was still confused, but they only walked a little further when she saw something that made her forget her bewilderment. "Hey, look! Isn't it beautiful?"

"What is it?" Starfire asked.

"It's a waterfall. I remember this. It's Prism Falls! That's how I know this place. Opal used to take me here all the time."

"Who is Opal?"

"She's my friend. She went with me everywhere, and she took me to many places. I remember this was always my favorite. Sit here. Watch this. See, when the sunlight hits the water just right . . ."

Starfire sat down and watched with her hand on the Muse's shoulder. Raven stood at a distance with a look that said she'd seen enough waterfalls in her lifetime. As the sunlight came through, it touched the crystal waters. A bright, gigantic rainbow appeared at the base of the rainbow.

"Marvelous!" Starfire cried in wonder. "I have never seen such an amazing sight! What is it called?"

"A rainbow. Yeah, I love them too. They're so colorful. I like colors."

"Tell me more about Opal. How did she know such a wondrous place as this?"

"Well, it's her home."

"So she lives here? Is she a muse?"

"I don't know. She never said. But she did have magic powers. She wanted our friendship to be secret, and when people came too close, she turned into a sparkly, white rock in my necklace. If I ever wanted Opal to appear again, I just watched the rock sparkle and change colors in the sunlight."

"Astounding! Perhaps she will be here."

"No, she's not here. I lost the necklace, and with it I lost her."

"This is not important!" Raven said suddenly.

"Oh yes," Starfire nodded. "Will you tell me more later? We must progress."

"OK." They got up and headed back for the stream. The Muse didn't want to leave the waterfall, and she watched it until it was out of sight.

"Why haven't we met anything yet?" the Muse asked.

"The next test will come suddenly," Raven answered. "We must be pre–"

"ROAR!" Another beast pounced in front of the three heroes. It had the body of a lion and the head of a woman.

"It's a sphinx!" the Muse exclaimed.

"You speak with the wisdom of Athena," the sphinx answered. "I have come to test your intelligence and wits. You shall not pass until you answer my riddle. Beware, if you answer incorrectly you shall be devoured." The sphinx smiled and revealed all of her sharp teeth.

"Oh my!" the Muse gasped.

"What fun, a guessing game!" Starfire cried with a smile.

"But we got to be careful. We don't want to be eaten."

"The answer is 'man,' " Raven said casually.

The sphinx rolled her eyes and sighed. "Yes."

"Raven, that was not in the spirit of fairness," Starfire argued. "You read her mind."

"No, I did not need to. These sphinxes have told the same riddle for years. We have heard it already!"

The sphinx bowed her head. "It is indeed true. We have valued one riddle above other. It is so clever and complicated. It must have never occurred to us that the answer would circulate."

"What riddle is this?" Starfire asked.

"Yeah, I don't think I've heard of it either," the Muse added.

"Oh, you haven't?" the sphinx said as her face brightened. "Well then, 'What has four legs in the morning . . .' oh, what's the point? You already know the answer. Very well, you shall tell me a new riddle. Beware, if you cannot think of one, you will be devoured!"

The Muse groaned. "Wait!" Starfire shouted. "You said that would be the punishment if we could not discover the answer to your riddle, and we did find it out."

"Oh come on! I haven't had a human for years!"

Raven looked at the sphinx sternly.

The sphinx grunted and shook her mane. "Fine. I won't devour you, but I won't let you pass!"

"Fair enough," Raven nodded.

"Oh, I got one!" the Muse said. "'Why is six afraid of seven?'"

"I've heard that one," the sphinx answered. "I'm rather sick of it actually?"

"Why is six afraid of seven?" Starfire asked.

"Because seven ate nine!" the Muse giggled. Starfire laughed as well.

"Give me something that is not only funny but clever as well," the sphinx advised.

"I know another good one, 'How many floorgans are required to wugilate a sheopixag?'"

"Can you translate that?" the sphinx asked.

"Well, let's see. On my planet, a floorgan is . . . well . . . how can I put this in earth terms?"

"Uh, here's another one!" the Muse blurted out. "'How is a raven like a writing-desk?'"

Raven glared at her. "He's not going to want a riddle with no answer."

"Well, I thought since you were Raven, you'd know the answer."

Raven frowned so much, a vein throbbed on her forehead.

"Do you know a riddle, Raven?" Starfire asked.

Raven nodded and looked back at the sphinx. "If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make as sound?"

"I thought you said we should not tell a riddle with no answer."

"She wants a riddle that makes people think critically. This question is meant to do that."

"But there is an answer," the sphinx said. "First off, there is never a time that the forest is completely empty. Even if all the beasts and humans were gone, the insects would still be there. Second, sound is caused by the air shaking. Just because no one is present does not make that stop happening."

"Hmm, good point. I've never heard somebody solve it."

"So, do you give up yet?"

The girls exchanged looks silently asking who should speak next and what should she say? "Uh, I have one," the Muse said. "Uh, here it goes. What is more important than knowledge?"

"Oh, that's easy. There are several things, like love and friendship."

"Yeah, but . . . see, my cousin explained it to me, and I know a joke isn't as good if it has to be explained, but it really made me think. He said knowledge is dependent on it, but it is not dependent on knowledge. I don't know if love or friendship really fit that."

The sphinx hummed to herself thoughtfully and paced a couple of times. A couple of times she paused as if she was going to say something, but then she started pacing again. The two guides looked at the Muse amazed, but the Muse looked at the sphinx nervously.

Finally, the sphinx spoke. "Now that is a riddle! Well done, daughters of Athena! You may pass." She stepped aside.

"Wait! Don't you want to hear the answer?" the Muse asked.

"No, I want time to think this over more. If I do not figure it out by the time you turn back, you must tell me the answer."

"OK, thank you."

"That was quite clever," Starfire said. "How did you think of that?"

"Well, like I told her, I got it from my cousin. Actually, to tell the truth it's not a riddle. It's a quote. He had it on a poster in his room, and he told me what it meant one day."

"So, what is the answer?"

The Muse looked to see if the sphinx was still looking at them. Then she whispered the answer in Starfire's ear.

"Ahhh," Starfire nodded. "That makes sense. Raven, do you want to hear it?"

"If it's the quote I'm thinking of, I've heard it before," she answered. "Let's just go."

"Yes," the girls nodded.

Next, they came upon some large zinnias. Starfire and the Muse were both excited and drew near to smell then to pick the flowers. Suddenly, the zinnias' blooms started to spin. Looking at the bright colors whirling made the Muse dizzy . . . then sleepy . . . everything seemed to blur . . .

"Azerath Metrion ZINTHOS!"

Raven's voice boomed in her head, and the Muse was shocked back to her senses. Raven flew above the flowers and surrounded them with black energy. The petals scattered.

"Wha . . . what's happening?" Starfire stammered.

"Those flowers were hypnotizing you, that's what!" Raven answered.

"Oh!" Starfire's eyes glowed bright green in fury. Her hands were full of green energy balls, and she threw them at the flowers. They broke and scattered. Then the flowers started to attack back by flinging thorns and vines at the heroes. Starfire flew up and continued her attack.

"I didn't know you could fly!" the Muse exclaimed.

"Why haven't you helped us yet?" Raven ordered.

"Oh, right." She flew up and concentrated. "Magic!" The zinnias all disappeared and were replaced with roses. "It was sad to do that to such pretty zinnias."

"But they were evil!" Starfire reminded her.

"Oh, yeah." Her stomach growled. "Man, I'm hungry already."

"My stomach is also making angry sounds," Starfire observed. "Perhaps now would be a good time to see what wares Hippolyta has given us."

"Can we wait until after we get the job done?" Raven complained. Then her stomach also growled. "Very well."

Raven opened the bundle to reveal some of the same food from the previous night. The Muse wrapped a piece of bread around some lamb, making a sandwich. She leaned back as she ate. Everybody was quiet. The Muse looked around her. It still seemed familiar, but it felt like a different place. It looked like the kind of place she pictured in her mind when she read some of her favorite books.

"There are so many places I would like to go, like Oz and Wonderland."

"What are these places?" Starfire asked curiously. "Do they have Ferris wheels and fireworks?"

"Do you ever read books from earth?"

"I would, but I do not have time."

"You need to. There's so much that you can learn. I bet Wonderland wouldn't be so bad if you learned from Alice's mistakes. What do you think, Raven?"

Raven looked up casually from her lunch. "I do not waste my time contemplating places that do not exist."

"Raven!" Starfire said in shock.

"Well, it is true."

"But then, why are you here?"

Raven didn't answer. "I know they don't exist, but it doesn't matter," the Muse answered. "Like sometimes I feel like Alice, lost and alone in a strange world that I don't understand."

"Really?" Starfire said.

"Yeah. That's kinda like you too, isn't it?"

"It is very like me. Perhaps I should read more earth books. Robin will help me if I have trouble with the Earth written language."

The Muse sighed. "Well, like it was saying, there's this one part where a cat tells Alice, 'Everybody's mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.' If I were Alice, I would say, 'But I'm not mad. I'm very happy. And how can you be mad? You're smiling so much.'"

"You don't understand what he means," Raven said. "By mad, he means insane."

"I thought you said you didn't think about places that didn't exist."

"Yes, but still."

At that moment, a stomp shook the whole forest. "Did you hear that?" Starfire asked.

"Was that your stomach again?" the Muse asked nervously.

STOMP!

"Not me," Starfire answered.

"Perhaps it is thunder."

STOMP!

"It is something coming toward here, of course," Raven said. "We must be ready."

STOMP!

ROAR!

It was a strange cry, the likes of which the Muse had never heard before. It was like a mixture of a lion's roar and an elephant's trumpet. Starfire went pale. "Oh no. I know that sound."

The creature crashed through the trees and stopped before them. It looked like a dinosaur made of mud. It made its awful roar once more. Starfire went rigid and cried with fear.

"IT'S A EIRLSKYBEAST!"

The monster came toward Starfire at her scream. Starfire turned and ran.

"What are you doing?" the Muse asked. "Can't you fight back?"

"I can try." Starfire's eyes glowed green, and she threw several balls of energy toward the Eirskybeast. It continued to come toward her. "Oh, it's just as I heard. Our powers do not affect it! And he eats my people!" The Muse tried to distract the monster with her powers, but the Eirskybeast did not even notice. Raven tried to control it, but the black field did not last around the monster for a second.

"At least lead it on a chase," Raven said. "You can fly can't you?"

"No, I have to experience joy in order to fly. I am too filled with fear!"

"That is what it wants, Starfire! You must conquer your fear."

"Fear?" The Muse started to understand, and she almost knew it was coming. Still, she broke down in shock when she heard buzzers, bells, and gunshots all around her. She screamed and covered her ears, but the sound was still too loud. She fell to her knees. She just wanted it to end. She wanted to get out.

Once again, she heard Raven's voice in her head. "Azerath, Metrion, ZINTHOS!" The Muse looked up. The sound was considerably muffled, but everywhere was darkness. "RUN!" Raven ordered. Suddenly, the Muse's legs started running by themselves. Raven really was in control.

Finally the sound faded away. Raven landed beside the Muse. "It is over. You do not have to be afraid anymore."

The Muse looked up again. Everything was back to normal, but something was missing. "Where's Starfire? Starfire! Starfire!"

"Starfire is gone."

"What? Did that monster get her?"

"Not exactly. Before it overtook her, she vanished. This was a test of courage. You were pitted against your greatest fear to see if you could overcome it. Starfire could not, and she failed. You nearly failed as well."

"No wonder this forest's trials are so difficult. Thank you for your help, Raven."

"Don't mention it."

"So, I guess it's just you and me."

"That is the predicament, yes."

"Well, ok. Let's get going. Hey, wait a minute."

Raven turned around in exasperation. "What?"

"Uh, I was just wondering why didn't we ever see what you fear most, Raven?"

Raven turned back around and answered, "I conquered my fear a long time ago."

"Really? How do you do that?"

"I had help. Now let's go."

It was much more quiet and disturbing than it was when Starfire was around. The Muse was sure that Raven did not like her, and she did not want to get Raven angry. Sometimes, though, she couldn't resist speaking her mind.

"This place is getting 'curiouser and curiouser.' But 'curiouser' is not a word, is it? It should be 'more curious' right? But that's just not as fun."

Raven looked at the Muse as though she were crazy. The Muse fell silent.

Just then, they came up to a wall which the stream flowed under. The Muse tried to fly above the obstacle, but it seemed to grow. It was too steep to climb, and it stretched out too far for her to go around. "What are we supposed to do?"

"Azerath, Metrion, ZINTHOS!" Raven answered. The wall turned black then faded away. "It's as I thought. It was an illusion. Come on." She walked on.

But just moments after they cleared the wall, the forest burst in flames. The Muse gasped and backed away, but Raven, nothing daunted, walked straight through the fire. Seeing that Raven was not harmed, the Muse followed. The fire was extinguished shortly thereafter. It was the same when a flash flood suddenly coursed before them. Raven walked right through, and the Muse followed.

"Why do you think they're doing this?" the Muse asked. "What does this test?"

"Determination, I am sure," Raven answered. "They want to know if we really want to go there. If we give up and turn away, we fail."

"Hmm. We still got a ways to go, right?"

"More than likely."

"Why don't we take a break for a little while? You know, just to rest."

"Very well." Raven sat "Indian style" and started chanting again.

"Actually, I was hoping we could talk."

Raven looked unnerved, but she stopped and surveyed the Muse. "Very well. Talk."

The Muse sighed, sat down, and looked at the ground. She scratched her neck and bit her finger. She opened her mouth to say something, but she knew that all she would do is stutter. Raven would get after her for that again.

"I thought you said you were going to talk," Raven said.

"Yes. I'm just thinking about what I want to say."

"If you really can't express it in words, I can read your mind if I have to."

"No, that's ok . . . I know how it is, you know."

"How what is?"

"Starfire told me that you lose control of your powers if you're too emotional."

"I have my emotions under control."

"Yeah, and I'm just saying that I can understand that. See, I can still remember a time where it almost hurt for me to feel anything."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It was awful. I just wanted to stay with Opal. She was the only one who understood. I didn't like anybody who would stop our fun. But that's all past now. It almost feels like I woke up from a nightmare. I don't why it stopped so suddenly. No, wait, sometimes I still feel like that, or at least I haven't forgotten what it was like. Anyhow, I thought I'd never meet someone else like that. I know we've started off all wrong, but I would like to be your friend."

"Now, when were you under the impression that I was not your friend?"

"Well, I thought you didn't like me. All I did was make you angry."

This time Raven looked like she was searching for the right words to say. "I cannot lie. I do believe that you are incredibly foolish, but you are also young. Your mind will grow with time as you learn more. I will say this–I have a tremendous amount of respect for you. You have abilities that most people do not, and you have chosen to use those abilities to restore order in a world of chaos. That commands a level of respect."

"It does? Wow, I never thought of it that way before."

"You should. All of your foes need to know it."

"Alright, I'll try. So . . ."

The Muse tried to think of something else to say, but nothing was coming. She thought Raven would reprimand her again, but this time her guide gave her a small smile and said, "So, do you know 'The Raven' all the way through?"

"Oh yeah, all eighteen stanzas."

"Did you have to memorize it for school?"

"No. Mommy has a book of poetry from her college days. She said I could read it one rainy day when I didn't have anything else to read. I really like poetry, and Edgar Alan Poe is really good. That poem was easy to remember, even though I don't really understand it. I also like Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, William Butler Yeats, Sylvia Plath, Elizabeth Bishop, and a lot of others."

"I don't like picking favorites, but I have to admit, that is my favorite poem."

"Cool. I don't like picking favorites either because something better always comes along."

"Yeah. So, let's hear it."

"You don't mind?"

"I'm not meditating now. It will give you some entertainment as we continue."

"OK."

So they got to their feet, and the Muse started reciting. She hardly ever stumbled or forget the smallest word. The only thing that bothered Raven was that the Muse did not inflect her voice. Therefore, the poem sounded very dry, as though it was a lecture. Yet Raven marveled at how well the Muse had remembered that poem after only reading it once.

And then suddenly she stopped. "'. . . Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn / It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels named . . . whom the angels named . . .' Oh, I know this! I just said it several times. It rhymes with 'nevermore,' I know that. What is it? Do you know?"

The guide paused. "Why don't you just go to the next line?" she said finally.

"OK, 'Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels named . . .' Man, it's the same thing! Why can't I remember it?"

"You said it several times."

"Yeah, that's right. Why am I saying this anyway?"

"Because I asked you to."

"Who are you again?"

"You know me, I'm . . ." the guide paused again.

"You can't remember?"

"Don't be silly . . . you."

"You don't know who I am either? That's strange. I feel like it starts with a 'P.' Well, do you know where we are?"

"I know we're here to stop something."

"I think I've read about a place before in a . . . well, in something, where nothing has a name."

"No names? That's silly."

"That's what . . . she thought."

"What do we need names for anyway? As long as we remember our purpose, we'll be fine."

"I'm so thirsty. That looks like I can drink it." She pointed toward the black, swirling waters by her feet."

"NO!" The guide froze the other girl in black energy. "Alright, perhaps you do not remember your purpose as well as I do. Now I am a . . . well, I have the power to read minds. Perhaps if I look into your mind, I can figure out who you are."

"OK."

The guide came close. The other girl looked away. "You need to look me in the eyes. It's the only way I can see into your soul."

"But I can't somehow. I feel uncomfortable."

"Relax. Perhaps if you try to concentrate on something, it will be easier for you."

"OK." She tried to concentrate on her name, and somehow everything in reality seemed to go out of focus."P . . . P-S-L . . . no, P-S-F, that's not right either. I know it's a P . . . P-R . . . P-R-E . . . P-R-E-C-I-O-U-S! It worked Raven! Raven? Raven? Raven! Raven, where are you?"

Not only was Raven gone but the whole forest. The Muse found herself on a path in the middle of darkness. The stream was still right beside her. She could only think of following the stream and calling Raven's name over and over. Then she came to a strange archway where several ravens were perched and staring at her with glowing, red eyes. One of them was sitting on top of a bust of Pallas.

"Turn back, turn back," the birds urged in whispering voices.

"I thought you were supposed to say, 'Nevermore,'" the Muse argued.

"Turn back, turn back," the birds eerily whispered again.

"I can't turn back! I've come too far!"

"Turn back, turn back."

The Muse only came closer. "Can you at least tell me where Raven went?"

The raven on the bust of Pallas opened its blood red eyes and looked down at the Muse dangerously. "Nevermore," it growled. As if on cue, all the birds attacked. The Muse tried to beat the birds back with her wings, and she just managed to get under the archway.

Suddenly, the scenery changed. Everything looked pink and happy, but it still did not look like the forest. The stream was the only element that remained. Raven was still nowhere, so the Muse continued to call out for her. Then, she got an answer.

"Muse! There you are!"

The Muse turned around. "Starfire? You got free?"

"Yes, and I went ahead. You must come back with me, Muse. It is much too dangerous."

"But what about the stream? What about the people of Themyscira?"

"They can take care of themselves. Now let's go."

"But if I turn back, I've lost. I can't come back. Besides . . . hey, have you seen Raven?"

"Forget about her. We must leave!" Starfire flew up to the Muse and seized her wrist.

"This isn't like you, Starfire. You wouldn't give up on your friends. I gotta keep going. Let go!" The Muse pulled herself out of Starfire's grip and ran away. Starfire called for her to come back, but the Muse did not listen. Soon she faded away and disappeared, and the world went all black again.

"Raven! Raven!" the Muse screamed. She continued to run down the stream, but then something strange happened. The stream somehow swirled and broke off into several tributaries. The Muse stopped. "Which way am I supposed to go?"

"Muse!" a voice called. It was Raven this time. She was standing at a tributary at the far right.

"There you are!" the Muse said joyfully. "I've looked all over for you."

"Come this way," Raven said. "We're almost there."

The Muse started walking toward her, but then another voice called, "No, not that way!" The Muse looked across the bank. There was another Raven standing at the far left tributary. 'This is the way that leads to the end. If you take that way, you'll get lost!"

"That's an illusion playing with your mind, Muse," the first Raven said. "Don't listen to it. I know that this is the way."

"No, it's this way!" another voice said. The Muse looked across the bank, but the other Raven wasn't looking at her. Then she noticed another Raven stood at a tributary closer to the middle. "You can even see the gates from here!"

Before long, there was a Raven standing at each tributary saying that her way was the right one and arguing why all the other Raven's were wrong. "Just please, tell me which one of you is the real Raven!" the Muse said.

They all talked at once.

"It's me!"

"Muse, I'm Raven."

"You can trust me!"

"I'm your friend!"

The Muse looked all confused at each one of them. What was she supposed to do? "It's too hard, Muse," a voice said behind her. Starfire was there again. "Listen to me. Just give up. Come back with me."

"No! NO!" The poor Muse felt exasperated. She had not felt this confused for a long time. She grabbed her hair and pulled and fell to her knees. The stench of the stream made her cough. She looked down into the water. It was much worse than what she saw come out of the fountain. It looked thicker, almost like tar, and it smelled like something that died a long time ago.

And yet something was in the back of her mind. "Follow the stream at your feet. It will lead you directly to the muses' home." The only way to get there was by the stream, and it knew where it was going.

The Muse reached down, pulled off her shoes and socks, and slowly stepped into the water. She held her breath and took a step forward. Then, she found that she had difficulty moving. The black water had grabbed her ankles. It was pulling her. Was this quicksand? What had she done? "No!" the Muse thought aloud. "This stream was once pure. It's still pure underneath. I won't let it take me!"

The walk she made in the water was the slowest walk of her life. She was fighting against so much resistance. Yet when she reached the place where the stream broke into tributaries, they swirled again and merged into one. She had found the right way. Smiling, the Muse stepped out of the water, and the forest she knew reappeared.

"Made it. So Raven, did I do well? Raven? Raven? Where'd you go?" Once again, the guide was gone. The stream went around the side of a hill. The Muse decided to go up the hill. It would still be following the stream, but maybe she would have a clearer view and see where Raven went. She climbed up and called for Raven, but she did not see Raven anywhere. She didn't realize how steep the other side of the hill was, and shortly after she reached the summit, she tumbled down the steep side. She was too shocked to make use of her wings. She ended up falling and skinning her knees. She stood, dusted herself off, and gathered breath to call for Raven again. Then something took her breath away.

The stream flowed right underneath a gate made out of pure gold. Upon the gate was an inscription in sparkling letters, "MUSE."

"I'm here. I found it all by myself. No wait, Raven led me here, whichever one of her was the real one. Hey wait, they said that they could see the gates from where they stood. They didn't mention a hill. Raven wouldn't lie like that. So, none of those Ravens were real. That means she failed the test. Oh goodness, I'm all alone!"

"You're not alone," a comforting voice said in her head.

"But there's no one else here!" she said aloud.

"Remember, if you ever feel like you need some encouragement, Gear and I are just a Shock Box away."

"Well, they are about a million miles away, but why not?" She pulled out her Shock Box. "Static? Gear? Come in, please. This is the Muse."

"Huh? Wha?" a sleepy voice said over the Shock Box. "Muse? Hey, wassup? Everything cool?"

"Uh, Static, did I wake you?"

"Nah, I was in that twilight period. You know, when you're not really awake but you're not really asleep."

"Is it still night down there?"

"No, it's morning. It's . . . Saturday morning."

"It's afternoon down here."

"Yeah, well, you guys are like eight or nine hours ahead of us. I remember 'cause Richie and I figured it out when they had the Olympics in Athens a while back."

"OK. Well, I'm sorry I woke you."

"No, don't worry about it. I needed to get up. Breakfast will be ready in a little bit, and you know how Sharon gets. Besides, I said I'd be there for you, didn't I?"

"Well, yeah."

"So, what's going on?"

"Raven and Starfire are both gone, and I'm at the end, and I'm all by myself."

"Raven and Starfire? Who are they?"

"They're from the Titans. Not the football team, the superhero team."

"Oh yeah, the one that Robin's in charge of! Cool. So, what happened to them?"

The Muse quickly related to him everything that had happened.

"Yeah. Wow, that's like right out of a book. Cool."

"I'm kinda scared. I've never been all alone like this before."

"Yeah you have! You've been kidnaped so many times, and you got along fine."

"But one of the things that got me through that was the knowledge that you would come and help me. That's not going this time."

"Uh, tell you what. Just keep me on the line. Tell me what's going on. I'll see if I can get Gear on here too."

"But you're so far away. What can you do?"

"Give you confidence and support, maybe. You'll be surprised at how far that can go."

"Well, ok." The Muse turned back to the gates. She reached out to it, and it opened by itself. It didn't creak. It hardly made a noise at all. The Muse took a deep breath and went inside.

"Oh, my goodness!" she cried.

"What is it? What do you see?"

"These trees, they're so beautiful! It's just like out of a fairy tale! The bark is pure gold, the leaves are silver, and it bears fruit of pretty jewels." She stood admiring the trees for a while. Finally, she couldn't resist plucking one of the leaves. To her amazement, it crumbled and crackled in her hands. Then she looked up at the tree again and had a deeper understanding.

"Oh my."

"What is it?" Virgil asked.

"This tree is dying. Its leaves are drooping. The fruit is all around the tree, cracked. It looks old, almost rotten."

"That is sad. What do you think caused it?"

The Muse looked down. "It's that awful stream. It's watering the trees. I bet it made everything so beautiful before, but now it's taking the life out of it. It's terrible. The stream is bigger here. It's like a lake here. Oh, it smells so bad!"

"You better move on. You're here to stop that, remember?"

"Yeah, ok." She stepped beyond the trees.

"Now, what do you see?"

"It's so dark! The canopy's so thick, it's not letting much sunlight in. I don't like this place, Static! The air, it's so weird. It feels heavy and uncomfortable, like on a summer day, but it's so cold!"

"Cold?"

"Yeah, it's freezing!"

"That's strange. Is it snowing or anything?"

"No, the ground is bare. Snow is pretty, but this place looks so dead. Hang on. I saw something move."

"What?"

"It's in the distance. It looked almost like a person. Could it be the person who started this? Or maybe it's someone who can help me."

Just then, the Muse heard Sharon yell something in the Shock Box. "I'll be right there!" Virgil called back. "Listen, I gotta go. Breakfast is ready. I'll come back as soon as I can."

"But, what should I do?"

"You know what to do. Think about other villains you faced in the past. Just play it cool. You'll be fine."

"But–" It was too late. All she could hear was silence on the other end. She put her Shock Box away and gulped.

Another voice spoke in her mind, "You have abilities that most people do not, and you have chosen to use those abilities to restore order in a world of chaos. That commands a level of respect. Make sure you make your foes feel it."

She took a deep breath and yelled, "Who's there?"

No answer. She thought that she saw movement again, but she wasn't sure.

"Who's there?" she repeated louder.

Then, a cold, deep, foreboding, hissing whisper answered her:

"Muse."

The figure walked closer. The Muse could just start to make it out. It looked like a man dressed in metallic armor. The weak sunlight didn't reflect his armor. It looked just as dark as his shadow-like skin, if it was skin.

"I expected you earlier than this," he said in that same, cold voice. "Very disappointing, but it can be overlooked."

"Who are you?"

"An old friend of those young guides with you earlier."

The Muse tried to think of the people Starfire told her about. "Cyborg?" she asked with uncertainty.

"Try again."

"Robin?"

"You're getting closer."

The figure took another step forward. This time, the sun did reflect part of his armor. Half his mask was copper. The only sign of his identity was one slit for his eye on that side of his mask. The Muse remembered that description well from Starfire. She knew who this was.

"Slade."

"That's better. Well done."

"But you're not their friend! Starfire told me you're their greatest enemy!"

"She thinks that highly of me?"

The Muse paused. She wasn't sure if she heard him.

"Irony is not one of your strong points," Slade observed.

"I do not understand, sir," the Muse answered.

"I know. That's why I use it."

This was getting her nowhere, so she changed the subject. "How can you even be here? Don't you know that men are forbidden from this place?"

"Are you so sure that I am a man?"

"Well, you're not a woman. At least, I don't think you are. And what else could you be?"

The eye on Slade's mask narrowed. "Perhaps something beyond even your capability to imagine."

"Like a robot? Or an alien? Or a . . . monster?"

"Good guesses. Keep making more. Pardon the pun, but they amuse me."

The Muse shook her head. "How did you pass all of the tests anyway?"

Slade's voice rose, as though he was starting to lose patience. "Child, I am a villain. I do not always play by the rules. Since you are a hero, I thought you would understand that."

"I just wonder how it's possible. Oh, never mind! I know what you are. You're a nightmare! You shatter dreams and destroy peace. I won't stand for it! You must be stopped!" With that, she sharply pointed her finger at him. She tried to use her powers to freeze him. But he took another step forward.

"It's not going to be that easy, Muse. Your powers are no good here. Don't you see, little girl? Can't you feel it all around you?"

"What is it? I don't understand."

"The air, Muse. So heavy, almost suffocating you. I heard you describe it. There's a reason why it's so cold. Can't you feel what it's really doing to you?"

"Did you do this?"

"What do you think?"

"I think you did this. But what is it? What did you do?"

Slade was almost face to face with her now. "I know that without your ability to imagine that you're nothing but a weak, little girl."

The Muse backed up just a little bit. "Many would beg to differ with you."

"I know. That is why I found a friend of yours who knew your secrets."

Slade gestured to his side, and there appeared with him a woman floating in the air with wild hair and glowing eyes. The Muse knew her too.

"OMNAURA!"

Omnaura smiled slyly. "Hello, Muse. Long time no see."

"How did you escape your house arrest?"

"Slade is quite clever. He got me out without anyone detecting anything wrong."

Since it was still relatively fresh in her mind, the Muse started chanting "The Raven" to herself.

"Aren't you even going to return my 'Hello'?" Omnaura said impatiently.

"I'm trying to keep you out of my mind by filling it with something else," the Muse answered.

Omnaura laughed cruelly. "Oh Muse, I'm not interested in that any more."

The Muse stopped and heaved a big sigh.

"Not since Slade has shown me how I can destroy you!"

The Muse gasped. "You're going to kill me!"

"Now, Muse, I'm not that evil. I'm no murderer. But you'll wish you were dead when we're done!"

She started to move forward, but Slade stopped her with his arm. "Patience, Omnaura. We cannot fight her this way. The odds are against her."

"What?!"

"I do not agree in an unfair fight, Omnaura. It would be only a waste of time for both of us."

"Waste of time? I've been wasting time for over a year because of her! I've waited long enough!"

Slade said something to Omnaura that the Muse couldn't hear. "Ahh," Omnaura nodded.

"What are you planning?" the Muse demanded. "I don't want any of your faulty weapons. I won't be tricked that way."

"But we are offering to you the greatest weapons you can have against us," Slade said. "Look who is here, Muse."

Slade pointed. The Muse saw there, sitting under a tree apparently asleep, Raven and Starfire.

"No! They failed the tests. They're back at Themyscira, safe. This is a trick!"

"It's not a trick," Slade suavely answered. "They did not fail the tests. They got here before you did. I told you you were slow, Muse."

"What are you waiting for?" Omnaura demanded. "Wake your friends, and let's get started!"

The Muse still wasn't sure if this was real, but if it was then surely something had happened to her new friends. She ran to them. She grabbed Starfire by the shoulder and shook. "Starfire, wake up!"

Starfire slowly opened her eyes. She looked completely different all because her eyes had changed. They were no longer that lovely green-on-green. They were completely black, except for one tiny white speck in the middle.

"Starfire! What's happened to you?"

"Something terrible," she answered in a distant, tired voice. "I really should make the Pudding of Sadness. If only I could remember the recipe."

"Come on, get up. Maybe you can still help me beat Slade and Omnaura." She tried to pull Starfire up to her feet by her arm, but it limply to her side.

"What can I do? I'm just a girl far from my home."

"What can you do? You can make those energy blasts! You can fly! You can–"

"No longer. All my powers and strengths come from my emotions, and I feel nothing. It is like you humans say, 'I do not care.'"

The Muse did not know what to do with her, so she shook Raven's shoulders. Raven's eyes were just like Starfire's. "Raven, maybe you can help me beat 'em. A loss of emotions is nothing to you."

"What's the point?" Raven groaned.

"What?"

"We will all die one day. Why fight it? It is inevitable."

"But what about restoring order in a world of chaos?"

"I was a fool to say that. Chaos is too complex. It cannot be stopped. We won't make a difference."

The Muse was horrified. She turned back to the villains in rage. "What have you done to them?"

"You'll see soon enough," Omnaura answered. She and Slade were coming closer to the Muse.

"What are you saying?"

Slade knelt down and dipped a metal cup into the stream. He thrust the cup toward the Muse's face. "Do you know what this is, Muse?"

"It's evil. It's poison. It's–"

"Complacency," Slade answered.

"Apathy," Omnaura.

"Doubt."

"And maybe just a little taste of hate."

"That's impossible!" the Muse cried. "How could you–"

"My secret," Slade answered. "These are the ingredients to end you."

"No! You won't poison me!"

"Relax, Muse. You will not be physically harmed, but your days as a hero are over."

"There's nothing you can do to escape us," Omnaura said.

"But why? Why did you do this?"

"Why?" Slade asked. "We're doing humanity a favor."

"Favor?"

"Think about it. Too many children are wasting time reading comics and Harry Potter, playing video games, watching cartoons, daydreaming. If they never get their head out of the clouds, they won't get anywhere in this world."

"You're wrong."

"No, you're wrong!" Omnaura answered. "I haven't dreamed for years, and I never missed that part of me. It was all nonsense."

"You haven't invented anything in that time, have you?"

"I have not needed to! I completed my life's work. I see clearly now, Muse. Yours is a generation of fools, and you are the queen of these fools!"

Suddenly, the Muse fell down. She felt the same way as she did when Omnaura controlled her mind. Her cerebellum was once again under attack. The Muse tried to crawl away, but she wasn't fast enough. Omnaura pinned her on top of a large, flat rock in the middle of the black stream. The Muse kicked and screamed, "NO! HAVE MERCY!"

"Stop struggling. Don't you see you've lost?"

"STOP! PLEASE! PLEASE!"

Slade said cooly, "Everything you're doing is pointless. It won't be painful. I'm afraid I can't do anything about the taste, however."

And as the Muse opened her mouth to scream again, Slade poured the repulsive liquid down her throat. It was terribly sour and burned down her throat.

Immediately, the Muse leaned over the rock, spat, gagged, and coughed. The substance would not let go. The substance stuck to her throat like glue. All of her attempts made it harder for her to breathe.

"You can't expel it that easily," Slade said. "It's already becoming part of you. I know it is uncomfortable, but if you relax and allow it to settle inside of you, you will learn to like it. You will never want to go back."

But the Muse hardly paid attention to him. She threw her head back and wailed. She threw another tantrum on that rock. All her tears washed down into the black stream.

"I thought you were more mature than this," Omnaura complained. She moved forward to stop the Muse.

"No," Slade said as he stopped her again. "Leave her be. With every tear, more of her emotion goes. Soon, she will cry out all of her individuality, and then she will be ours to mold."

The Muse didn't want to hear it. She kept crying. She cried for about half an hour. Yet she did get tired. After a while or so, she wasn't screaming anymore. She cried silently over the black water. It grew to be less repugnant. In fact, she began to forget that it had a smell at all. Finally, she grew exhausted. She sprawled out on her belly on the rock and lay motionless. The light in her magic hat turned to gray. Then, she heard voices that sounded almost half a world away.

"OK, Muse, I'm back. How'd it go? Muse? Muse, are you there?"

She knew that was Static on her Shock Box, but she didn't have enough strength to pick it up.

"Let me try. Muse! It's me, Gear! How are things going in the Mediterranean?"

The Muse groaned. They still talked. The Muse wanted to talk to them, but she didn't know what good they would do. Maybe encouragement would shake the dreadful feeling from her chest. She reached for her Shock Box.

"Why are you making an effort to speak to your former friends?" Slade said. "They are miles away. They can't help you where they are."

"Should I tell them that it's useless?" Omnaura asked.

"I have a better idea," Slade answered. "Muse, you tell them."

The Muse sighed, sat up, and picked up her Shock Box. "Guys," she said (she sounded so weary that she was even surprised that it was her voice), "guys, don't waste your breath."

"What?" Static and Gear both said.

"I mean, what are you going to do where you are? You're a million miles away, almost."

"I told you! We're going to offer you encouragement."

"What good's a few fancy words? It's over, guys. I lost."

"Don't say that!" Gear demanded.

"It's true. My powers are gone. They won't come back. Starfire and Raven can't help me."

"Muse, don't give up on yourself like this!" Static said. "There's gotta be something."

"No, Static. All I want is hope, but there is no hope."

"Good girl," Slade encouraged. "Now, drop your communicator into the water."

The Muse hesitated. She didn't see any reason to do that.

"Do it! That part of your life is over forever. Get rid of every memory."

"He's right," she thought. Though she could hear the protests of her friends coming from the speaker, she dangled the device over the water.

Then, she saw something. A small ray of sunlight had broken through the harsh canopy and hit the surface of the stream. This surface was not black. It was as clear as crystal. "How strange," the Muse thought. Something was beneath that clear water, something white. She put the Shock Box down, lay down on her belly again, reached down for the thing in the water, and pulled it out.

It was a rock on a golden chain. It was a very interesting rock. It sparkled in the sunlight. The sparkles changed color. The Muse inspected it closer. She liked how it felt in her hand, so smooth. But she liked looking at it better.

"I reminded this kind of rock," she thought. "It's white, but it changes every color of the rainbow. Rainbow. It's merely a spectrum, white light bent. White light is really all the colors of the spectrum. Rainbow. Rainbows only appear when the sun's out when it's raining, and then only at certain parts of the day. No, there is more. What have I heard? 'I do set my rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud, and the rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look upon, that I may remember . . .' Rainbow! The promise! Rainbow! 'Everything was rainbow, rainbow, rainbow!'"

Suddenly, she saw a bright light from the stone. It hurt her eyes. She shut them closed. Then, in the back of her mind, something else came to her.

"The riddle! Oh thank you, merciful Heaven, the riddle!"

"What is she doing?" Omnaura demanded.

"She is impeding process," Slade said angrily. "I'll handle it." He walked up to her and grabbed her shoulder. "Muse, what is that in your hand?"

She hid the stone from him.

"Give it to me, Muse. I do not want to hurt you."

She wrapped the chain around her wrist and clutched the stone in her fist. The jewel seemed to become one with her palm, and all at once she felt a change. It was like all the strength that had just sapped out of her was restored ten fold. She didn't feel cold anymore. In fact, she felt as though someone had wrapped her snugly in a blanket of sunshine.

"I will count backwards from five to one, and when I reach one you better give what you have to me. Five . . . four . . . three . . ."

Then the Muse turned around to him. She opened her eyes and looked at him in defiance. Her eyes looked like soap bubbles, a thousand colors constantly changing. Her hair was fiery red and flowing in curls down her back. Her skin gave off a radiant glow. She stood tall above Slade.

Slade acted as though nothing had. "Two . . . one."

The Muse opened her palm. A bright light issued from the stone that his Slade back. Omnaura looked at him in wrath. "What is going on? You said nothing like this would happen! You said she would be broken!"

"Imagination is more important than knowledge," the Muse said. Again, she was surprised at her voice, this time because it was filled with a level of authority she had never heard from herself before.

"That is an opinion," Slade answered. "An opinion is based on creative thought, and that should have been stamped out of you."

"It's not just my opinion. It's a quote. Don't you know who said that?"

"A fool, like you," Omnaura answered.

"That fool was Albert Einstein." Once again, she opened her palm and freed a beam of light. "Do you know who he was? He was one of the smarted people who ever lived, but he was a dreamer. Without his dreams, he wouldn't have gotten anywhere."

"Absurd!" Omnaura yelled.

"No, it's true! How do you think Christopher Columbus figured out the world was round? How do you think Nicholas Copernicus learned that the earth revolved around the sun? Nothing in science at the time could have told them anything. They had to imagine it!" All the while as she was talking, she let out more bursts of light. Omnaura and Slade both dodged her attacks quite well, but the Muse did not seem to be disappointed. "Take away imagination, and you take away our greatest gift. Even animals can learn, but on earth only mankind can create! 'Imagination is more important than knowledge, for knowledge is limited while imagination embraces the whole world!' Don't you know what that means? It means knowledge is dependent on imagination. Without it, knowledge would run out real quick."

She got them both in a corner, and she paused to catch her breath. "Getting tired already?" Slade sneered. "It would have been a good use of effort if you were better at aiming. You did not hit or Omnaura once."

"Who says that was poor aiming? Look around you! Don't you feel it? I'm restoring everything you killed!"

Everybody looked around. All the droopy trees were perking up. Flowers were blooming. Birds were singing. The air was filled with a pleasant odor.

"So your new toy helps you fix things," Omnaura scoffed. "We still know your physical weakness."

Then the Muse felt her legs fall beneath her again. She was determined this time. She will get to her feet. But she couldn't.

Slade pushed her over, pulled her up by the hair, and looked into her face. His hands were so strong! They hurt! "We got you right where we want you, Muse? Even if your powers are restored, you are still helpless and alone."

"She is not alone!" a voice cried.

The Muse looked beyond Slade's shoulder and gasped. Raven and Starfire were standing there, their eyes glowing with fury. "You're ok!"

"Your words inspired us, Muse," Starfire replied with a smile.

"Azerath, Metrion, ZINTHOS!" Raven cried. Slade and Omnaura were pushed out of the way, and the Muse could stand on her feet again. Starfire threw at the villains balls of green fire, but once again the villains dodged them with ease.

"Girls, please," the Muse said. "I don't need your powers as much as I need you."

"What do you mean?" Starfire asked.

"I think I understand," Raven nodded. She put her hand on the Muse's shoulder, closed her eyes, and concentrated. Soon, she also started to glow.

"Oh," Starfire said knowingly. She did the same.

The Muse could feel their strength inside of her. "Thank you." She opened her eyes and looked at the two villains.

"What was that you said about an unfair fight?" Omnaura said, glaring at Slade.

"Do you really think this changes anything, my dears?" Slade said deviously as his eye glowered at the heroes.

"Maybe it will, maybe it won't. But at least it will put you back where you belong, because that's not here!"

The Muse opened her palm. The eyes of all three heroes started to glow. They all fed their powers into the stone. A blinding light filled the forest, and when it was gone, so were Slade and Omnaura.

"Where did they go?" Starfire inquired.

"Where they belong, I suppose," Raven shrugged.

"Where do you think they went, Muse? Muse? Muse, what is it?"

The Muse had walked off by herself to the rock where all of this started. She unwound the chain around her wrist and looked into the stone. Inside it, she could almost see the beautiful Prism Falls. "Thank you, Opal," she whispered.

And with that, she let go of the chain. Slowly, the opal fell into the water.

"Muse, what did you do?" Starfire asked.

"What I had to do. Look."

She pointed to the ripples flowing out from where the opal fell. The ripples cleared away all the black corruption as they passed.

"You did well, Muse," Raven said encouragingly. "And you did most of it by yourself."

"Yeah," the Muse nodded.

"Now why is your face mournful, Muse?" Starfire asked.

"I just feel like I gave up a lot."

"You mean all that power?" Raven asked.

"No, more than that. I'm glad you girls helped me, but I felt like I had someone with me before you came."

"Who?" Starfire asked.

"An old friend. But she's gone forever now."

"Don't be so sure," a voice said behind her.

The three heroes turned to see a tall girl with waist-long brunette hair. She was dressed in light, and she smiled with her deep green eyes. Behind her were several women dressed in the same Grecian garbs as the women of Themyscira.

"Opal!" the Muse said.

"My dear, Precious friend!" the girl said. There was nothing very special about her voice. It was a little nasal in fact. Yet somehow, her presence seemed to warm everyone's hearts.

"Where have you been all this time?"

"I've always been with you, watching you. I just manifested myself in new ways."

"So how am I seeing you now?"

"With the aid of our power," one of the women said. "We're the Muses. You set us free."

"I did?"

"Yes," another said. "When you cried, your dreams fell into the water. That allowed your inspiration to be set free."

"My inspiration? You mean, Opal?"

"Yes. You know very powerful magic of your own. It's no wonder you are called the Muse."

The Muse bowed her head. "But everybody was right. Muses don't have wings."

"I know," Opal answered. "That's one of the ways I continue with you. I gave you those wings. You have a tremendously strong imagination. You deserve to soar."

"Oh. Thank you."

Upon returning to Hippolyta's kingdom, the girls were greeted with a feast. It was much happier this time. Food was everywhere, and there were music and dancing. It continued until sundown when the Justice League returned to pick up the heroes. The Muse gathered a "to go" plate to munch on as they went home.

The heroes had much to talk about on the way. Raven looked down. "Muse, I'm sorry I led you to misjudge me. I understood better when I looked inside your mind."

"That's ok. Where did you go when that happened?"

"I think that part caused us to see the forest as others would perceive it. I think it was meant to throw us off for the biggest test of all."

"So, you saw everything as I would see it, and I saw everything as you would see it?"

"That's right, and in my forest, I'm alone unless I choose not to be. I thought I had that test under control. I tried to find the real you by searching for your thoughts, but I was tricked even on that level. So, how did you get past it?"

"I walked in the stream. It was the only way that would get us there, so that's what I thought to do."

"That was very wise of you."

"You know, it does worry me that Slade was part of this," Starfire said.

"Yes, that is a trouble," Raven nodded.

"Why?" the Muse asked.

"We do not know much about Slade," Starfire answered. "But we do know that he never does anything that is not part of his greater plan. This may be just the beginning, Muse."

"But I showed him I was more than a weakling! He'll think twice before opposing me again."

"Actually, he may have expected you to escape," Raven added. "He was just toying with you this first time. He might go in for the kill next time you meet."

"Maybe it was not me he was playing with. Maybe it was Omnaura!"

"Even at that, since she is your greatest enemy, this may not be the end."

"What would he want with me? I'm not in the Titans!"

"It is hard to say," Starfire answered.

"Perhaps he enjoys your gullibility," Raven suggested. "Maybe he still thinks you are an easy target, not as much of a challenge as us."

"What should I do?"

"Do not be worried," Starfire answered. "I shall tell Robin about this. He knows Slade better than any of us. He will find someway to help you. Let us talk of something more pleasant. Raven, what was your favorite part of the journey?"

"Well, I kinda liked when the Muse recited my favorite poem for me. What about you?"

"I enjoyed that delicious beverage at the banquet! What was it called again?"

"Olive oil?" the Muse snickered.

"Yes! I must see if I can find more at home! What about you, Muse?"

"You know, my favorite part was just being with you girls. I still missed Static and Gear, but being with you really taught me more about myself. I hope we get to work again sometime soon."

"Oh yes! And we must show you our tower!"

"I would love to see it, and I want to meet everyone in the Titans."

"Of course! And we must meet your friends as well."

"And you will learn more Poe when you come, will you?" Raven added.

"Sure!" the Muse nodded.

There was something different about Precious from then on. Everyone around her noticed it. She daydreamed more, but she seemed happier. Claire was overjoyed to hear her daughter talk on and on about two new friends that she met on her trip–Ray and Starla. After a lot of thought and observation, some weeks after Precious' adventure, Claire called the number on her pamphlet.

"Wayne Manor," a voice said on the other end.

"Oh my goodness, I'm sorry! I meant to call the ARC! Could you please give me the correct number?"

"Is this the Foley residence?"

"Yes sir."

"One moment, I'll connect you." A moment later, a deeper voice answered.

"Miss Foley, how are you!"

"Bruce Wayne!" Claire gasped. "No, no, I didn't want to bother you. I just wanted to talk to the person in charge of your autism research center."

"It's no bother. I wanted to hear from you first."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Now, what may I do for you?"

"Well, ever since that last workshop or camp or whatever it was a few weeks ago, I've seen positive things from my daughter."

"Yes, I heard a lot of good came from that. I'm glad it pleased you."

"Thank you, and I was just calling to say . . . I think we would like to get involved in your program after all."

Next episode: Third Sight–Three mysterious men are following Precious around as she is facing a test that may change her life. One of them calls himself Terry McGinnas.

OK, I didn't see anything against this in the rules. If it is, I'll have this comment removed. But I'm just curious, what do you guys think the Muse looks like? If any of you fans have an artsy streak about you (because goodness knows I don't), please e-mail me a picture of her. You can put her in your favorite scene, or not. You can do pictures of her in uniform or in her secret identity. I'll find some place to put the pictures, sometime. I look forward to seeing what you guys come up with!


	10. The Third Sight

Episode 9: Third Sight

Note: I've tried to illustrate transitions in time and point of view in many ways since I started writing for First, I tried a double space. That didn't show up. Then I tried a line of asterisks. That worked for a while, but for some reason lately it doesn't anymore. I tried another typographical symbol, but that doesn't work either. So, the only other option I can think of is text. But I still want it to jump out at you that I'm making a transition. Therefore, I'm going to type it in all caps. So, when you see that, I'm not yelling at you or intending to be rude. I just want to make that clear, because there will be many transitions like that in this chapter.

"What was that?"

"What was what, Honey?"

"Didn't you see it, Mommy? It was a bright, green light by the flagpole! It's not there anymore."

"I didn't see anything. Maybe the sun got in your eyes."

"No, it didn't!"

Claire stopped the car in front of the school. "Don't worry about that now, Sweetheart. You go on to class, ok? And you're taking the bus home this afternoon, remember?"

"Yes, Mommy."

"You have a good day, Precious. Mommy loves you."

"I love you too, Mommy." Precious kissed her mother goodbye very quickly and got out of the car. She walked down the familiar hallway toward her classroom, not thinking much about the people around her until--

"Good morning."

She looked at the speaker. It was a young man wearing black jeans and a brown jacket. He had black, messy hair and gray eyes, and he was very tall. Precious did not recognize him at all, so she turned away, returned to her pace and said, "Morning."

"I like your hat."

"Thanks."

"You're Precious Swan, right?"

Precious didn't answer.

"Did you hear me?"

"You're a stranger. Mommy says I'm not supposed to talk to you," Precious replied without looking at the boy. She quickened her pace so that she could lose him.

"Your mother taught you well!" the boy called after her. Precious walked even quicker. As she got to the end of the hall, she turned around to see if the boy was still following her. He wasn't. He was turned to the right, looking at somebody she couldn't see and mouthing what looked like, "Now what?" Precious was satisfied and rounded the corner. Yet just seconds after that, the boy came running after her. He stopped in front of her and paused to catch his breath.

"Terry McGinnis," he huffed.

"What?"

"Terry McGinnis," he repeated more slowly. "That's my name. And I'm quite sure you're Precious Swan. There. Since we know each other, we're not strangers anymore, right?"

She still looked at him doubtfully. Then she answered, "You're not supposed to run in the halls." Then once again she tried to walk ahead.

"I just wanted to make sure I didn't lose you," Terry answered as he walked behind her. She refused to even look back. "Fine. We don't have to talk, but I still have to follow you. I was sent to watch you today."

At this, Precious stopped, turned around, and walked back to Terry. "Did Mr. Wayne send you?"

Terry looked surprised. "Yeah. How did you know?"

She started walking again, but this time she went a little slower. "It must have to do with that test I have to take tomorrow, doesn't it?"

"Well, it's about something that going to happen tomorrow."

"It's not going to be hard, is it? I'm really worried. I haven't taken a test like that before. Mommy says it can affect my whole future. If I do good, I might go to another school. That's what Mommy wants to happen. But what if I do bad? Will I go to a worse school? Do you know?"

"Uh, I don't think you need to worry about the test," Terry said nervously.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Let's just get to your class."

"OK." She led him to the classroom and approached the teacher. "Miss Archambault, this is Mr. McGinnis. Mr. Wayne sent him to observe me today."

Terry didn't greet the teacher. He sighed and looked at the floor. The teacher smiled sympathetically and said, "Alright, Precious. Take your seat please."

As they sat down, Terry said, "OK, two things. One: You didn't have to tell your teacher about me."

"Why? Did she expect you?"

"She, she didn't need to know about me is all. And two: Just call me Terry, please."

"Mommy says it's rude to call grown people by their first names."

"I'm only 17."

"Oh. Well, I guess that's ok then. I know a couple of people who are almost 17, and I call them by their first names."

They were quiet for a while. Then Terry remarked, "There are a lot of boys here. Are you the only girl?"

"Maggie's usually here, but she's been sick the past couple of days. Summer went on to another school. That's the school that Mommy wants me to go to, so maybe I'll see her again. Diana's usually here--oh, there she is. She comes in late most of the time."

"So do you know the other kids in your class?"

"Oh yeah. That's Raymond over there, sorting his baseball cards. And that's Matthew on the computer and Simon working on his word puzzle book again (those things are hard!). Those boys over there are twins, Phillip and Steven. Leland's playing with the water guns over there. We have a couple of Alans. That's Alan with an A, and over there is Allen with two L's and an E."

"They're good kids?"

"They're ok."

Just then, a gentle tone sounded on the PA system. It was time for class to begin.

TRANSITION

Claire parked the car and waited for the school traffic to die down. Once everything was quiet, she got out of the car, closed the door, and pushed a button on her key chain to lock all of her car doors. (Nothing special about this, but you still need to keep this moment in mind.)

She walked into the school and turned toward the office. As she approached the door, it opened by itself. "They must have had a door opener installed for their wheelchair students," she thought to herself. However, she did find it strange. Don't those doors usually come with a button to push when the door needed to open? It didn't have automatic door sensors. Well, anyway, that wasn't important.

The principal was making announcements, and another parent was talking to the secretary. Claire decided to sit while she waited her turn. She sat down on a couch in the office. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Shocked, she turned around to see who had touched her, but there was nobody there. She turned her head in all directions to see if she could see anyone at all, but nothing could be found.

"Are you alright, miss?" the secretary asked.

"Oh, I'm fine. Somebody just walked over my grave, I guess," Claire answered with a nervous laugh.

"How may I help you?"

Claire got up and approached the desk. "My daughter is scheduled to have an evaluation at the Bruce Wayne Autism Research Center in Gotham City. We'll be gone most of the day, and I just wanted to make certain that she is excused."

"No problem. Just make sure you give us a note."

"Oh, I'll give you a note alright. I'll give you a letter saying she doesn't have to come to this glorified daycare anymore!" She stomped out and slammed the door behind her. She was so angry that she didn't notice that it did not open automatically for her that time. Then she paused and wondered why she let her frustration get the better of her. She took a few breaths to calm down then started to leave again when two people came toward her from down the hallway. One was a tall man with straw-colored hair, and the other was a short woman with dark hair and an overall black scheme. Claire was sure that she had never seen either of them before.

"Excuse me," the man said. "You're Claire Foley, right?"

"Yes sir."

He shook her hand. "It's a pleasure. I'm Ira Billings, school counselor. This is–" He said the woman's name, but Claire didn't hear it. Someone, at that moment, sneezed.

"Gesundheit," Claire said.

"I beg your pardon?" the woman said.

"You sneezed, didn't you?"

"No."

"Hmm. Maybe I'm hearing things. I'm very sorry. I didn't mean it as an insult."

"We're here to talk about your daughter," Mr. Billings said. "We've talked to her teachers, and we both believe that she's . . . a very special child."

"Of course. Everybody in this school is, right?"

"We understand that she can do amazing things with her mind alone," the woman said.

"Oh, here we go."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Listen. My daughter is not a savant! She's not a human calculator. She can't decode anything the FBI throws at us. She's no superhuman computer! She's just a girl."

"But we've hear that she can correctly spell and define words upon hearing them, for one thing," the woman argued.

"Well, yes, her love affair with words is pretty incredible. And she absorbs anything that she learns. I can't explain everything that she does, but it's nothing too special."

"Still, it might be the beginning of something big. We can help her fine tune her latent talents into amazing things. Now, we understand that you're looking for a new school."

"Yes. Tomorrow, I'm taking my daughter to Gotham City to get her reevaluated."

"You don't need to get her reevaluated. I run a special school called the Braintrust. It's much more reliable than this school."

"Thank you, but I don't believe that's necessary. I would rather let the experts be the judge."

"Very well," Mr. Billings said. "Please do not forget our offer. I would be interested in studying your girl. I heard she was very seriously autistic until age 8. What is her secret?"

"Uh, a little bit of good parenting, and a gift from her cousin. Now, I really must be going. I'm running late for work."

Claire backed away and ran for the door. Something about both of those people was really creepy. She hoped she didn't have to see them again. When she got to her car, she was shocked to find her back car door wide open. First she was confused. "When did I open this door? Didn't I lock the car?" Then she remembered all those urban legends from her high school days, and she gripped her pepper spray as she slowly approached the car. "Who's there?" she yelled in the back. "Don't try to hide! I know a policeman personally, and I have his number on my cell phone!" She inspected closely all around her car several times, and she never saw anyone. Finally, she reminded herself that she was late for work, closed the door, and got into the driver's seat. Once again, she swore that she felt a hand on her shoulder. She screamed and sprayed her pepper spay behind her. There was nobody there. "Why am I so jumpy today? Maybe I shouldn't have had that second cup of coffee," she told herself. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched.

And she was . . .

TRANSITION

The day was getting really strange for Precious. As far as school went, it was still pretty normal. Something about Terry made her nervous. He did not talk much, but sometimes she couldn't help but look back at him, just to see if he was still there. Whenever she did, he'd lift his eyebrows at her and give her a small smile. He looked kinda bored.

But that wasn't the strangest thing. About once every hour, somebody passed by the classroom. Precious could see him in the small window of the class's door. He wore shades and a trench coat. He looked like a guy in one of her mother's favorite science fiction movies that Precious didn't like much because she didn't understand it. He always looked in the window, and Terry always gestured to him. Sometimes he gave a thumbs up. Other times he made an OK sign. A few times he made a gesture that Precious didn't even recognize, but it probably meant the same thing. The stranger in the window always nodded solemnly and walked. And every time, Precious turned to Terry and whispered, "Who is that?" He always replied by shushing her and pointing to the teacher.

The events bothered Precious, but by the middle of the day she decided that they were none of her business. It was time for recess. Precious put on her heavy coat and took with her a heavy book. Then she climbed to the top of a dome-shaped jungle gym and started reading.

"Why aren't you playing?"

Precious looked down to see that Terry had climbed up too. He was leaning on the side next to her.

"It's too cold," she answered.

"Well, a little activity will circulate your blood, and you'll feel warmer."

"That's what they say, but all I feel when I play in the cold is the wind drive into my cheeks with sharp, icy knives."

"I hear that. It really gets cold up in Gotham. The wind is merciless. So, you sure you're friends don't mind?"

"What, those kids?" She pointed toward her classmates. "Look at them. All they do is run. Run, run, run, run, run. Running in circles, running in lines, running around the merry-go-round. It's like the Caucus-race. You know, in 'Alice in Wonderland?' They keep running, but are they really getting anywhere?"

"Wow," Terry said after a pause. "That's deep."

"Yeah, and I also don't like running much. I'm so slow."

Terry laughed half-heartedly. "Yeah. What are you reading?"

"Othello."

"Isn't that . . . Shakespeare?"

"Yeah."

"How old are you?"

"12."

"And you're already reading Shakespeare?"

"Yeah."

"Do you understand it?"

"Not really. These footnotes help. A friend of mine told me the gist of it."

"Man, that's . . . admirable. I still don't get or really appreciate Shakespeare. My girlfriend Dana is crazy about it, though. She begged and begged me to take her to see Romeo and Juliet in a live play! They just don't do that anymore. I just can't believe that even in our day and age, people still listen to that dinosaur language."

"It's not so hard. The preacher at my Church congregation sometimes talks like that."

"So, how did you get interested in Shakespeare? I mean, that play is pretty mature for you."

"That's a secret."

"I won't tell anybody. I keep a lot of secrets."

"Not even Mommy knows. No wait, she does. My cousin, of course. Well, I guess I can tell you. My best friend from Dakota is starring in Othello."

"Really? Who's he playing?"

"Uh, Othello."

"Oh, OK."

"He didn't want to be in it because he had other things to do after school, but his teacher asked him to. It also turns out that all of his friends are in the play too. My cousin is playing the villain, Iago, but he's good at memorizing. My friend has asked me to read lines to him so that he could recite his lines so that he will be ready for his rehearsals. Because all those other things he has to do after school he has to do at night now, and he doesn't have much time for sleep or studying. I just want to read beforehand so that I know what I'm telling him before I say it. Does that make sense?"

"Uh-huh. I've been there. Well, I guess I'll let you read."

Precious looked down at her book, but something was bothering her. "Do you hear that noise?"

"What noise?"

"It sounds like the buzzing, high-pitched hum I hear from lights. But we're outside. We shouldn't be hearing that noise."

"I don't hear anything like that. Maybe you're imagining it."

"Well, I wish it would stop. It's making me very uncomfortable." She looked back down at her book to try to get her mind off of it. Eventually, though, it faded away. "That's better. See Terry?"

But Terry wasn't there anymore. Precious shrugged and continued to read. She didn't see Terry at lunch time either. She almost forgot about him until he was getting on the bus with her.

"What are you doing?" she asked him.

"I would take my car, but I . . . I came here another way."

"What do you mean? Where are you going?"

"Your house."

"What? Does Mommy know you're coming?"

"She doesn't have to know."

"But she gets really mad at me when I bring friends over without telling her! I don't want to get in trouble!"

"You won't get in trouble. I'll take care of it, don't worry. But I have to watch you to the end of the day."

"That's what Mr. Wayne told you to do?"

"Those are my orders, yeah."

"Then why did you leave at recess?"

"I had to talk to some people."

"Like that guy who kept looking at us? Who is he?"

"Never mind."

"Why?"

"It's complicated."

"Well, OK."

The bus drove down to a quiet neighborhood. Precious and Terry got off. They were quiet for a while. Then Terry commented, "So, how do you feel about school?"

"It's ok."

"You really feel like you don't belong there, do you?"

"I don't know. I've been going there ever since I started going to school. I don't completely understand why Mommy wants me to go somewhere else now. But then again, I remember that 'school' is defined as 'an institution for instruction and learning,' and I realize that I haven't learned anything new at school in the past couple of years. So, this isn't really a school, is it?"

"Well, I get the feeling that it's not the school for you. I mean, you were the only student there who wasn't screaming all day or needed help doing ordinary stuff. I hope you do find another school."

"So, you think that test will be easy?"

"Like I said, you don't have to worry about it."

"Terry, what is Mr. Wayne like?"

Terry laughed and hesitated. "Well, the Mr. Wayne I know and the Mr. Wayne everybody else knows are two different people, believe me."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

Just at that moment, someone jumped out at them from behind a fence that they were walking along. "LULU!"

Precious backed away in fear. Two high school boys laughed at her. "Good one, Clay," one of them said to the other.

"Leave me alone, Donnie and Clayton," Precious grumbled.

"Sure, we'll leave you alone so you can talk to yourself more!" one of them laughed.

"What was that you were saying about Mr. Wayne?" the other derided.

"I wasn't talking to myself! I was talking to Mr. McGinnis here."

Terry sighed and said something that sounded like, "Slag."

"Oh, Mr. McGinnis!" one of the boys said grandiosely. "I didn't see you there! I'm Clayton Kohler. Pleased to meet you."

"And I'm Donnie Osgoode. Have you always been with little Lulu here?"

"You're not even looking at him!" Precious said.

"You're not even looking at him!" Clayton repeated in a mocking tone.

Precious happened to notice that the same man who kept looking in on her was walking right across the street. He stopped and looked at her. Precious filled herself with her superhero-like confidence and said, "I'm warning you, one of these days I'm going to–"

"Oh, here we go, Clay," Donnie said. "It's the Static speech."

"Why don't you call him now? We'd love to see Static and Gear, get their autograph."

"Yeah, go ahead and yell for them. Maybe they'll hear you this time!"

With that, Donnie pushed her down. She tried to get up. Before Clayton kicked her down again, she saw that guy from across the street running toward her. "Help! Help Terry!" she yelled.

"Help Terry!" the mocked again.

"Alright dregs, break it up!" a voice yelled. Precious pulled herself up and saw the man from across the street pushing the boys out of the way. Donnie was even knocked over. Terry was still observing like an outsider

"What happened?" Clayton asked.

"Tripped," Donnie answered.

"Yeah right, you big duffus."

The mystery man knelt down again and struck the boys. They screamed. Precious never heard them scream before. They got to their feet. "Now, get out of here! And don't bother this girl again!" the man yelled at them. The boys ran away.

"What are you doing?" Terry said in a half whisper.

"What YOU should be doing," the man replied. He knelt down to the girl's level. "You alright, Precious?"

Precious's conscience told her to repeat her mother's lecture about strangers, but there was something about this stranger that was familiar. She hadn't noticed it before. She couldn't explain it. There was just something about him. So, she said nervously, "You know me?"

"Yeah. You just don't know it yet."

Precious looked at him puzzled, hoping that he would elaborate. The man got up. "I better go talk to those boys' parents. She's not going to have a problem with them anymore. You help her." With that he left.

"Wait!" Precious called back to him, but the man didn't even look back.

"Here Precious. I'll help you up." Terry offered her a hand. "You hurt too badly?"

"Maybe a few bruises. I got mud all over my clothes."

"That'll wash out."

"But why didn't you help me? And who was that guy?"

"I can't answer those questions! Not right now."

"Why not?"

"I can't answer that either. You'll see soon."

Precious looked all around her suspiciously. "There's that noise again. Do you hear it?"

"Uh, no."

They walked a couple of blocks down until Precious walked up to a small, blue vinyl house. She pulled a key out of her pocket. "Now, you're sure that Mommy will okay with this?"

"Don't worry about it. I'll take care of everything."

"Alright." She opened the door. "She won't be here for another hour. She's still at work."

"Wow. This is your house?" Terry remarked. "This is nice, not like my house."

"Yeah, it's nice." Precious walked into the kitchen. She pulled a Tic-Tac box out of the pantry. "Grint!" she called. "Here Grint! Come here! Come Grint!" A little rabbit with an apple-cider coat came scurrying into the kitchen. "That's a good boy," Precious said as she gently petted his head.

"Grint?" Terry said. "That's a strange name for a rabbit."

"His full name is Rabbit Grint."

Terry looked at her confused.

"You know, it sounds like Rupert Grint. He plays Ron Weasley in--"

"Oh. Oh yeah! I remember. Didn't he direct?"

"What?"

"Oh, nothing."

"Well anyway, look at what Grint can do." She whispered to the rabbit, "Look here. See what I got?" She held a Tic-Tac high in the air, and Grint stood on his high legs to get it. "Good boy! Here you go!" She handed the rabbit the Tic-Tac, and Grint ate it up. Terry applauded. "Thank you," Precious said with a bow.

She then led him upstairs to her room. "Schway! I like your theme going on here."

"What did you say?"

"Oh, 'schway.' I think your word for it is 'cool.'"

"Then why don't you say 'cool?'"

"It's an old word, even before our parents. But anyhow, you must really like superheroes."

"Oh yeah! I go to Dakota every summer, so I see so many of them."

"I guess that's why Static is pretty much everywhere."

"Yeah, Static is my friend. We see each other a lot when I go to Dakota."

"Hey, I don't think I know this one," Terry said as he pointed to a poster on the door. "Who is it?"

"That's the Muse."

"Oh, so that's the Muse! I've heard of her, but I've never actually seen her."

"She's my favorite."

"Why?"

"Well, uh, she's a girl. She reminds me a lot of me. And she can do a lot of cool stuff. Oh, and there's SheBang and Rubberband Man. This is a picture he autographed for me."

"'Much Love from Above, To M, '" Terry read. "What does 'M' mean?"

"Mentor. It's a long story."

"Oh-ho!" Terry laughed. "Here we go! Batman! Schway, it's classic."

"Yeah, I met Batman last summer. He's nice."

"Nice?" Terry laughed really hard. "I've heard a lot of adjectives for him, but 'nice' isn't one of them."

"But he is nice."

"Did he save your life?"

"He saved me from the Joker."

"Well, then of course you'd see him as nice."

"But then he took me to the Batcave and gave me cookies."

"Oh. That is very abnormal. Why did he do that?"

"He had pity on me, I guess."

"I guess so." Terry inspected her bookcase. "Hmm, Harry Potter. These any good?"

"Oh yeah. They're the best books in the world, or at least the most popular."

"My mom has all seven, but I've never had time to read them."

"What do you mean 'all seven?' Does she know J. K. Rowling personally? I know there are seven books coming out, but they're not all out yet."

"Oh. Um, well, I must be a lousy counter."

"Or maybe you included the two companion books."

"Yeah, yeah that was it, the companion books." He picked up something on her bedside table. "What's this?"

Precious gasped, grabbed the Shock Box out of Terry's hand, and slammed it into a drawer. "That's a secret!"

"Then why did you have it out in the open?"

"Well, I didn't think anybody was going to come over, and Mommy knows about it."

"OK, then I'm sorry. So, uh, what do you usually do now?"

"I listen to music and wait for Mommy to come home. She usually comes bringing a snack. Hey, do you like Blue Man Group?"

"I've heard of them. I thought they were mimes."

"They are, but they're also really good musicians. You should see them in concert. I saw it on TV. I like to put the CD on shuffle so it sounds different every time."

She put the CD in the player. Then she reclined on her bed and sang along with the songs. Terry sat next to the bed on the floor, nodding his head to the beat. They didn't talk to each other, but when the song "I Feel Love" came on, Terry really got into it.

"Schway, Retrotech," Terry said.

"What?" Precious asked.

"Retrotech. It's like what they play in Dana's favorite clubs. Say, you wanna dance?"

"OK, but I'm not very good."

"That's doesn't matter. It's not about how well you do it. It's about how the music moves you. Here, I'll show you."

During the first verse, he rolled and loosened up his shoulders. Then he rolled his head on his shoulders. Then he stretched his arms over his head. Then as the chorus kicked up, he jumped around, shook his hair, and moved his head and his arms to the music. Precious laughed. "That looks like fun!"

"Now it's your turn."

"What do I do?"

"Anything. Get that energy out."

"OK. Let's see, Rock Concert Movement #1." She bobbed her head to the music. "Rock Concert Movement #2." She pumped her fist in the air. "Rock Concert Movement #3." She jumped up and down. "Now, all three at once!" She jumped, bobbed, and pumped to the chorus.

"What were you talking about? You are pretty good!" Terry said.

"You think so?"

"Yeah. Now, on this part, we dance together. So, we hold hands. Yeah, like that." He stretched his right palm over his head in a circle, and Precious's hand followed as best it could. Then they did the same with the left hand. "Your eyes are very pretty," Terry remarked.

"Thank you. And your eyes are . . . very gray."

"Kinda mysterious, right?"

"Well, it is a strange color for eyes."

He held her hands tightly and held his arm above her. "Ready?"

"I guess so."

Then she started spinning and spinning and spinning and spinning! Terry was spinning along with her and rocking out the way he was before. At the end of the chorus, Precious fell onto her bed.

"Was that fun?" Terry asked.

"I feel dizzy and out of breath."

"Yeah, it takes a few hundred times to get used to it." Terry paused. "Precious, have you ever been kissed?"

"By Mommy."

"I mean, by a guy."

"My cousin kissed me once."

Terry snickered. "He's family, though. It's not the same."

"How is it different?"

"Want me to show you?"

"You mean, kiss me?"

"Yeah."

"OK, but a small one. Not like those kisses on TV. They look so gross."

"Alright." He gave her a small kiss on her earlobe, right as the song ended. Precious was stone silent and stared into space. "So, what do you think?"

"I don't see how it's any different. It didn't feel different, but it was OK."

"Oh. Well thanks, I guess."

She inadvertently looked at a mirror hanging in her door. "That's strange."

"What?"

"In the mirror. I see me, but I don't see you."

"Maybe you're still a little dizzy, or that kiss made you take leave of your senses."

"You're saying I'm seeing things?"

"Precious!" a voice called upstairs.

"Mommy's home!" Precious said. She ran for the door, but Terry did not follow her. "Aren't you coming?"

"Later. You don't have to tell her I'm here."

"Are you sure?"

"Precious!" the voice called up again.

"Go on," Terry urged.

Precious ran downstairs. "There you are," Claire said. "Did you have a good day at school?"

"Yes," Precious answered.

"Here, I got you some chocolate chip cookies." Claire handed the cookies to her with a cup of chocolate milk. "Honey, why didn't you tell me you were being bullied?"

"How did you know?"

"Mrs. Kohler left a message on the answering machine. I need you to tell me about these things. It wasn't right for you to get beaten all the time like that."

"But they told me that if I told an adult, they would hit me even harder. I didn't know what to do. That's why I started telling them that I knew Static and Gear. If things got really bad, I was sure I could have called them back here. But Donnie and Clayton never took me seriously because Static and Gear so far away."

"I think that was brave of you, because I know you couldn't fight for yourself. But next time, please tell me. I would have gotten my schedule changed and picked you up at school more, or at least gotten a neighbor to do it."

"Alright, Mommy. I'm sorry I didn't say anything, but I was scared."

"I understand, Sweetheart."

Precious finished her snack (except for one cookie, which she was going to give to Terry) and headed back up to her room. But as she crossed into the den, something surprised her and made her stop short. "Mom, who is that?"

There, sitting on the coach and watching TV, was another man wearing a trench coat and shades. He also wore a hat that Precious had never seen before. He wasn't the same as the other guy. This one had lighter skin, and it looked like he had a hunchback. He looked toward Precious and gave a small smile.

"That's the governor, Honey," Claire answered. "He's talking about his plans for the economy. I don't know why the station thinks this is important enough to preempt 'Dr. Phil,' but–"

"No, Mommy, not on TV. Who is that watching the TV? He looks like someone from 'The Matrix!'"

"Uh, Sweetheart, I think you need to go upstairs and lie down for a while, maybe read something."

"OK." Precious returned to her room confused. Why didn't her mother answer the question?

TRANSITION

As soon as Precious was out of earshot, Claire grabbed the phone. "Sending an e-mail to Dr. Temple would probably be more helpful, but I need an answer now," she thought. Once again, she dialed the number on the ARC pamphlet. "Maybe they'll be more helpful once I let them know the situation."

"Wayne Manor," that mysterious, British voice said at the other end.

"OK, I really need to talk to an autism expert. It's an . . . well, it's not quite an emergency, but it's pretty close."

"You are concerned about tomorrow I assume, Ms. Foley?"

"Well, yes, that's part of it."

"Master Bruce is in a very important business meeting right now."

"Oh, but I don't want to bother Bruce Wayne! If you could just give the number of someone, anyone at the ARC–"

"I would Ms. Foley, if I knew who to direct you to. Master Bruce would know best."

"Alright then. When is his meeting over?"

"That depends on how negotiable his client is."

Claire laughed. "Are you Bruce Wayne's business partner?"

"No madam, Alfred Pennyworth, Master Bruce's butler."

"Oh. Well, I see where Mr. Wayne gets his charm."

"Quite. I will tell Master Bruce that you called."

"Thank you." She started writing an e-mail to Dr. Temple anyway, but before she could send it the phone rang.

"Ms. Foley!" Bruce Wayne's recognizable voice boomed on the phone. " I hear you have concerns about tomorrow. What can I do for you?"

"Mr. Wayne, I really need to speak to an expert."

"Well, what's the problem?"

Claire took a deep breath. "My daughter is seeing things."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, this morning, she said she saw a bright, green light outside the school, and I did not see anything out of the ordinary. Then just a few minutes ago she told me that there was a man in the living room watching TV. There's nobody else here. I know she wouldn't lie to me like this, so she must be seeing things. I'm worried about how this is going to affect her performance tomorrow. So, who can I talk to?"

"Well believe it or not, I am an expert of sorts. I've done a lot of research of my own. I know that the line between reality and imagination is always blurred for autistic children."

"Yes, but she usually keeps those things to herself. I think this time she really thought those things were real."

"I would advise that she be sent to bed early. She needs to get lots of sleep."

"Oh yes, I did plan that anyway because we live so far. She has a problem with sleeping sometimes."

"Give her some milk to make her sleepy."

"OK, I'll do that."

"Is there anything I can do?"

"Well, actually yes. I met these two people today. I didn't catch one of their names, but one of them was named Ira Billings. They approached me at Precious's school and tried to persuade me to send her to some special school called the Braintrust. Do you know of them?"

"Doesn't ring a bell to me."

"Something about both of them really bothers me. They just didn't feel right."

"I'll do some background checks. Don't worry about them."

"Alright, thank you. That will give me some peace of mind." She said goodbye and hung up. "Am I ever going to talk to anyone at the ARC?" she thought. She checked the clock, "Honey, it's 4:30! Time to call the guys!"

TRANSITION

"OK, Mommy," Precious called down. "Um, Terry, if you don't mind, this is kind of secret."

"I'll put my fingers in my ears."

"I would really rather if you left the room."

"Alright, I'll be outside." He got up and left the room. This time, Precious was sure he did not have a reflection in the mirror. But then again, he did go by rather quickly. Precious pulled out her Shock Box and paged her friends.

"Hey girl!" a voice came over the communicator.

"Hi Static!"

"Muse, how's it going?" another voice said.

"Hi Gear!

"Did you have a good day?" Static asked.

"A weird day."

"What? What made it so strange?" Gear said.

"Well, there was this guy that was following me. He said his name was Terry McGinnis, and he was sent to watch me."

"Did you say Terry McGinnis?" Virgil said.

"Yeah."

"That's funny. That names sounds familiar somehow, sort of like someone I used to know in school years ago."

"Doesn't sound familiar to me," Gear said.

"Well, he's weird," Precious said. "He follows me everywhere, and one of the strangest things about it, I can't stop looking at him. Even when I want to, something just draws me back in. It's very uncomfortable."

"OK, let's have a little test here," Static said playfully. "See if the following adjective is accurate for describing this Terry McGinnis."

"OK, what is it?"

"Cute."

"No! Static, babies, puppies, and rabbits are cute, not people as old as he is."

The guys laughed, "You might change your mind in a few years. It'll surprise you.

Gear took it up this time, "Let's try another one–handsome."

"Well, I guess that works. He's not ugly."

"You're growing up on us, girl," Static snickered. "I think you got a crush."

"I do not! I'm too confused to have a crush!"

The guys laughed really hard. "You don't know how funny this sounds," Static gasped.

Precious was about ready to change the subject. "How was practice?"

"Pretty sweet," Gear answered. "We both got to practice some of our biggest scenes with our, heh, 'wives.' Daisy really has a set of lungs on her."

"How about Frieda, Virgil? Did you get to do that last scene yet?"

"Not yet. She practiced wrapping a handkerchief around my head. She keeps tying it too tight."

Precious laughed this time. "That is schway!"

"Schway?" Gear asked.

"Yeah, Terry told me it means 'cool.'"

"Now, I know I've heard that word before," Static said.

"Well, you want to start practicing."

"Yeah. We'll do Act 3, Scene 3, ok?" Gear said. "Let's start where Static and I come in."

They practiced for a little while. Precious was impressed at how different the guys sounded. She just read from her parts from the book. Neither of them had any major lines. She had most of the speeches.

"But shall't be shortly?" Precious read.

Virgil took a deep breath and said in an uncommonly suave voice, "The sooner, sweet, for you."

Precious giggled. As she read the next line, she glanced out the window. Somebody was standing out there looking at her. "Shall't be tonight at supper?" she said uncomfortably.

"No, not tonight."

"Tomorrow dinner, then?"

"I shall not dine at home; I meet the captains at the citadel."

Precious looked out the window again. "Who is that? It's the man who saved me a moment ago! Who is he? What is he doing just outside my room?"

"Come on Precious, you got a whole speech here!" Gear said.

"Yeah, I haven't gotten to anything too hard yet," Static said.

"Uh, you know all this talk about supper is really making me hungry," Precious said nervously.

"I heard that."

"Should we call it a night?"

"I guess so," Gear nodded. "Hey Precious, you looking forward to tomorrow?"

"I don't know. I'm still nervous, but Terry said I shouldn't worry. He was sent from Mr. Wayne, so he should know."

"I wouldn't worry about it too much," Static said. "Just do what you do, and you'll knock them out. It's not like it's going to ruin your future."

"You think I'll be ok?"

"You're not going to have a problem," Gear answered. "Come on, you're the smartest person we know."

"Well, alright, I trust you guys." They promptly said goodbye and signed off. Immediately, Precious opened the window and yelled at that guy, "HEY, WHO ARE YOU?"

The man answered by running out of sight.

"WHERE YOU GOING? COME BACK!"

"SWEETHEART, SUPPER'S READY!" Claire called up.

Precious came downstairs to see dinner of leftover turkey and milk. "Isn't it early for supper?"

"Honey, we got a long way to drive tomorrow. The earlier we eat, the earlier we can get you to bed."

"So, I'm going to bed right after I eat?"

"Well, I do want you to get a bath. Then, it's straight to bed."

"Can I have my reading time, please?"

"OK, I'll let you have an hour of reading time after supper. It will give the food time to settle and make you sleepy."

"Thank you, Mommy."

"You're welcome. Now, will you give thanks for the food?"

"OK."

Precious ate, then went up and brushed her teeth. She looked everywhere for Terry, but she couldn't find him. She felt sad and glad at the same time to see him go. She went to her room and got her favorite book. The window was still, and she started hearing voices right outside. She recognized the first one–Terry.

"Am I the only one who's trying to stay unnoticed?"

"Hey, I can't help it!" another voice she didn't recognize answered. "I haven't seen her in twenty years! I miss her."

"I think you'd understand if you were able to see your father again," the man who saved her said.

"What's that got to do with anything?" Terry answered.

"Think about it." A pause. "Besides, I saw you bustin' a move earlier."

"Oh come on."

"You so phat, boi!"

"Stop it!"

The strangers laughed. "So, what did you learn?"

The other stranger spoke in a low voice that Precious couldn't hear very well. Then Terry spoke again.

"Yeah, I know them. That's not good."

"You have an idea what to do then?" the rescuer asked.

"I think so. So, we're just going to tell her directly about–"

"NO!" both the strangers said at once.

"We can't!" the rescuer said. "She doesn't know yet."

"Why not? Didn't you say that she found out this year?" Terry asked.

"Yeah, she does," the other stranger answered, "but she finds out around her thirteenth birthday. That's not for a while yet."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. We'd never forget that day."

"So, what do we tell her?"

Just then, Claire walked by the door. "Honey, why do you have the window open? Isn't it cold?"

"I was just listening to the sounds outside," Precious answered, thinking it was true after all.

"I don't want you to get sick," Claire answered as she closed the window.

"OK," Precious said in a disappointed tone. She went back to reading, but all the while she wondered who they were talking about. It almost sounded like they were talking about Precious herself. If that was the case, what was it that they couldn't tell her?

She had her bath and then got ready for bed. Claire came up and tucked her in. "Now, I want you to try your best to sleep. If you have trouble sleeping, go downstairs and get yourself another glass of milk, ok?"

"OK, Mommy."

Claire kissed her daughter's forehead. "Goodnight, Precious."

"Goodnight, Mommy."

Claire turned off the lights and closed the door. Precious closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on sleep. But just seconds after Claire left, Precious's bedside lamp turned on. Precious' eyes snapped open. Terry was standing by her bedside, and the two strangers were in the room too. Precious began to scream, but Terry put his hand on her lips.

"We need to have a little talk," Terry said quietly.

"Try to keep it quiet," the hunchback stranger said. "We don't want your mother to freak out."

"Who are you? Terry, why won't you tell me who these people are?"

"We will in a moment," the other stranger answered.

Precious knew there was something strange about these visitors. Then it hit her. She put her hand in front of her lamp. It made a shadow on the wall. She grabbed Terry's hand, but it didn't make a shadow. In fact, for the first time, he looked sort of transparent.

"You don't have a shadow!" She looked at the mirror and saw herself alone. "And you don't have a reflection! Are you . . . ghosts?"

"We're not ghosts," Terry answered.

"Vampires?"

"Nope," the hunchback answered.

"Werewolves?"

"Come on, if we were werewolves, we wouldn't be a danger to you," the other stranger said. "The moon's not full."

"Then . . . maybe you're not real. Maybe you're all in my imagination."

"We are real," Terry answered.

"But here's the catch," the hunchback said. "You're the other one who is aware of us."

"Aware? What do you mean?"

"You're the only one who can see or hear us," Terry answered.

"Why don't we show her, just for a second?" the other stranger suggested. He fiddled with a knob on his watch. The hunchback twisted something on his temple. Terry turned something on his belt buckled. The horrible hum Precious noticed throughout the day dwindled and stopped, and the three strangers came more in to focus. They had shadows and mirror reflections. "See?" the stranger whispered.

"Oh," Precious said as she nodded. Then the strangers all turned back on their devices and once again disappeared in the mirror. The hum came back. "How?"

"We've got special technology that sends a signal to that hat of yours," the hunchback answered. "See, there's a part in your brain that is super-sensitive, and it can interpret that signal better than anyone else's. To everybody else, we're invisible because of the same technology."

"But why me? What's going on?"

"Terry," the other stranger said quietly. He jerked his head. Terry nodded and left the room. "It's time you knew who we really are." The stranger took off his shades and revealed a gold mask. He took off of his trench coat and revealed a purple and black skin-tight uniform. On his chest was a familiar insignia of a lightning bolt crossing a circle. The other stranger adjusted his shades, and they turned clear. He took off his hat and revealed a helmet that dropped a visor over his face. He took off his trench coat, and Precious saw a uniform she knew well. She couldn't believe it.

"Static? Gear? What happened to you?"

"I grew," Static answered. "He did too, in more ways than one." He poked Gear's stomach.

"Hey, cut it out!" Gear snapped.

"Does Terry know?"

"Of course he does," Static answered. "See he's–"

The door opened. Standing there was someone dressed completely in black. Precious hadn't seen that outfit before, but she recognized who it was by the ears and the red insignia on his chest.

"Batman? But if they grew, did you . . . shrink?"

Static and Gear both burst out laughing. "She gets her sense of humor from me," Static explained to the new hero.

"The man you know as Batman has long since retired," Terry explained. "I picked up where he left off."

"He retired? I didn't know he retired."

"Well, he hasn't retired yet," Gear added. "See, we're from the future."

"The future?" Precious whispered in amazement.

"Yeah," Terry nodded. "That's why we're trying to stay out of sight. We don't want to risk changing our future or our past."

"So, why are you here?"

"Because of you," Static answered. "Something's going to happen tomorrow. We're not sure what, but we think we know who's behind it. Someone else has come here to destroy the Muse forever."

Next Episode: The Test–The three future superheroes accompany Precious to Gotham to keep her past from being erased.


	11. The Test

Episode 10: The Test

"What?" Precious nearly fell out of bed. "No! Tell me I'm having a nightmare."

"Wish we could," Gear answered.

"You just told me that my future won't be ruined!" Precious said angrily to Static.

"Hey, what do I look like, Miss Cleo?" he answered with a shrug.

"And you said I didn't have to worry about the test!" she growled at Batman.

"You don't. The test should go fine. It's the people giving the test that we need to worry about."

"Don't get scared or worried," Static said calmly. "You're not going to be hurt. It's just–well, let us explain. See, yesterday . . . well, yesterday for us, a few tomorrows down the line for you, you . . . well, the future you, which is still you but . . . anyway, you came to visit me, just out of the blue. We live kind of far apart, and you're . . . busy most of the time. So this was a surprise. We had some coffee, and we talked. You never really told me why you were visiting, but you did leave me a clue. Before you left, you gave me a small box and told me not to open it until tomorrow."

"Did I visit Gear too?"

"Oh no, we work together a lot," Gear answered. "I think we went out for breakfast that morning. Virgil and I don't know how, but something about that recent contact helped us remember you when everybody else in the world seemed to forget.

"I don't know if I ever panicked more than I did the next day. All of our research was gone. I thought somebody had stolen it. When I went to work, they looked at me like I was some sort of stranger. I went to your house, and it wasn't even built yet!"

"It was just as weird where I was," Static continued. "Things had really changed. Stuff I was used to was gone, just like that. I thought you were in trouble. I couldn't reach Gear or you on the Shock Box. I checked with the Justice League for your file, and it wasn't available. Nobody at the League had even heard of you. I finally contacted Gear, and when I heard that he was just as confused as I was–"

"So we called Mom, your Aunt Maggie you know? Every time we mentioned you, she just burst into tears. And, uh, there was nobody else in our family that was in any position to tell us where you were."

"So we knew there was only one guy that could figure this out."

"Hold on, guys," Terry said. "Why don't I tell my side of the story? I'm the outsider."

Gear shrugged. "OK."

"Knock yourself out, man," Static said.

"In the morning, I was at high school with my friends. We were talking and laughing, just like we usually do. Of course, we were late for class. The halls were pretty much empty except for Dana, Max, and me. Then this woman came out of nowhere. She had worn out clothes, tangled hair, and a frightened look in her eyes. I thought that she was a dreg."

"A dreg?" Precious interrupted.

"That's slang," Static explained. "It means 'unsavory character,' or 'somebody poor.'"

"Yeah," Terry nodded. "Well, anyway, her eyes were fixed on me, and it was really creepy. I tried to ignore her and talk to my friends, but she didn't turn away from me. She came right up to me, didn't even notice my friends. She put something into my hand and whispered into my ear, 'Help me.' I tried to call her back and ask questions, but she acted as though she didn't hear me. The thing she gave me was a digital watch, but it was always stuck at 3:00. I tried to fix it, but nothing worked. I know only one guy who could figure this out–my employer."

TRANSITION–FLASHBACK (or is it flash forward?)

"You know, it would have helped if she at least told me how I could help her," Terry told Bruce.

"Mmmph," Bruce grunted. He was busy taking the watch apart.

"I can't help but wonder, why me? Does she somehow know my secret? And if she does, how? I've never seen her in my life!"

"She was trying to tell you something without actually saying anything. That's obvious."

"But why?"

"I knew it. This is no ordinary watch. Look." Bruce pointed to something around the watch's rim. "This is a fingerprint reader. It also has hologram hardware."

"What's that doing there?"

"Evidently, when the right person gets this watch, it will play a message."

"Well, that's not me. My hands have been all over it."

Bruce ran his finger around the edge. "It's not for me, either."

"So, I'm expected to give this watch to somebody to play a message. But I don't even know who that is!"

"B-MAN!" somebody called from the back of the cave. Static and Gear suddenly ran into the cave. "We need your detective skills."

"What's wrong?" Bruce asked.

"She's gone," Gear answered. "And the weird thing is, we're the only ones who seem to care!"

"Who do you mean?"

"The Muse!" they said at once.

"The who?" Terry asked.

They talked at once. "You know, angel wings, colored halo, always appears slightly different, able to control things with her imagination, she was the first superhero who wore braces for crying out loud!"

"Never heard of her."

"She has been kinda out of the superhero business lately," Static acknowledged. "Her hands have been full, but she does do a lot of work for the League."

"Have you heard of Precious Swan?" Gear asked.

"What?" Terry said.

"Precious Swan! It was one of the biggest names in the world a few days ago! She–"

"Gentlemen," Bruce broke in, "It's been almost forty years. I thought that you had let her go."

"Let her go?"

"It's time I brought you back to reality. Computer, display security camera 205, Metropolis Mental Hospital."

There was a spike of static on the screen, and then a young woman appeared in black and white. The room she was in had padded walls. The woman sat on the bed, thrashed about, and screamed.

"That's the woman I saw this morning!" Terry cried.

"That's her! Our Precious!" Static said in shock.

"You got to be kidding me!" Gear said. "This is a joke, right?"

"I don't joke, Gear. You know me better than that," Bruce answered.

"But . . . she's cured! Remember, the chip?"

"Cured of what?" Terry asked.

"Um, have you ever seen Rain Man?" Static asked.

"I've heard of it. It's a classic, isn't it?"

"The late great Dustin Hoffman's finest. How about Mozart and the Whale?"

"You're saying she's . . . artistic?"

"Autistic, Terry."

"Yeah, that's what I meant."

"Believe it or not, Terry, she used to be one of the most impressive superheroes I had ever seen," Bruce said. He turned to Static and Gear, "But before she became a teenager, something happened. All of her headgear was stolen, and she was taken to a boarding school against her will. She left her communicator at home, so you weren't able to trace her. Once you found where she was headed for, it was too late. She'd come undone. Evidently, her captors tried to push her mental abilities to the limit, and it made her revert. You tried to get her back, recreate her 'Magic Hats,' but the damage was permanent. The original Magic Hats were never recovered."

"This can't be!" Gear yelled. "She was the biggest success story ever. Everybody knows."

"I can understand why you're in denial, but you got to move on. You did all you could to get her back. We all tried, but it's over. There's nothing more that we can do."

"When was she committed?"

"Her mother committed Precious when she turned 18."

"Now, I know that's not true! She turned the world on its ear in her mid twenties!"

"You're living in a fantasy, both of you. Accept the past. Now, if you'll excuse us, Terry and I have a real mystery on our hands."

Static and Gear turned away and spoke to each other. "Man, now I know how George Bailey felt," Gear said.

"Yeah, this is all very weird, especially when I think that I just saw her yesterday," Virgil nodded. "Hey, wait a minute. I wonder if I still have . . ." He pulled a box out of his pocket. "Yeah. It's that doodad she gave me. Now I can see what it is."

"Hey Bruce!" Gear spoke up. "This is proof that the Precious we know is out there and doing well."

"She came to visit me yesterday," Static explained, "and she gave me this." He showed Bruce the box and opened it. Everyone gasped.

It was a digital watch stuck at 3:00, identical to Terry's watch. Bruce inspected it. "This also has a fingerprint reader."

"A fingerprint reader? Let me check it." Static ran his finger around the edge, and a blue light emitted from the watch. A small hologram of the woman on the computer screen appeared before him.

"Precious!" Static and Gear said at once.

"Hey guys," the hologram answered them. "Bruce, I hope you're doing well. Hi, Terry. I know you don't know me, but I remember you very well." She paused and smiled at the superhero. "OK, guys. I know you're worried about me, but you can save me from this fate. All of this happened because some people I believe Terry is familiar with have traveled back to my childhood and altered history."

"Time travel! Of course!" Gear said excitedly.

"That's right. Now, I don't have much time to explain. All of you need to be cloaked with invisibility. Gear, I believe you have that unique technology installed in Backpack, and I know Terry has a similar program in his belt. If you can download it into this watch and give it to Static then upgrade Terry's program, that would be great. As I recall, Bruce and Static confiscated time traveling technology from one of their villains. Remember that reevaluation I had to take? I want you to transport about twenty-four hours before that happened to my old school. Keep a close guard on me and Mommy at all times. Keep your eyes and ears open for anybody suspicious so that we can recognize them. And Terry, hold on to the watch I gave you. It will have additional information later. Good luck!" With that, her image faded away.

"Well, let's get to it!" Static yelled. They immediately got up and scrambled about getting everything prepared. Gear followed his instructions. Bruce found the equipment Precious referred to. Static started putting together a strategy.

"OK, here's what we're going to do. Terry, you need to be with Precious. She's not very comfortable with strangers, so you need to let her know you're cool, oh excuse me, 'schway.'"

"I'm going to follow Aunt Claire!" Gear announced.

"Fine. I'll campus the area and look for clues. We don't want her to get too excited or confused with us being around, so Gear, maybe you and I should be disguised and stay out of sight. We'll let her know the game plan once we got the story straight and when we can get her alone. Sound like a plan?" Everybody nodded. "Alright, let's do this thing!"

TRANSITION

They hurriedly told Precious this story with most of the details. They only left out her autism, and they inadvertently neglected to mention Bruce Wayne's name.

"But I don't understand!" Precious said. "If I'm in a hospital, won't I eventually get better?"

"Actually," Gear explained, "this is kind of hospital where they put people that they don't know how to make better. They put you there to keep you from hurting yourself or society."

"We do know who we're after now," Terry explained. "Gear saw them when he was with your mother. One of them goes by Spellbinder. From what Static and Gear told me about your powers, his is much like yours. He creates scenarios that are completely within the mind, and he makes thieves out of common people. The other calls herself Bombshell. She runs a school called the Braintrust which seeks out people with ESP. She has explosive mental powers of her own."

"How did they get here?"

"I bet they used Bombshell's powers," Gear said. "There's a controversial theory that anybody can travel through time if they concentrate hard enough."

"But I don't have ESP. What would they want with me?"

"You can do pretty incredible stuff when you got your Magic Hat set just right," Static acknowledged.

"And I think that it's your hat that they're after," Gear said.

"My hat? Why?"

"The technology in that hat helped lay the groundwork for one of the most revolutionary inventions of the century. We worked on it together as a super-secret project for years. It made you a billionaire!"

"What? You mean, I'm going to be rich?"

"Oh yeah, enough to make Bill Gates spin in his grave with jealousy," Virgil answered.

"You didn't mention that," Terry said.

"I was about to," Gear said.

"So what is this invention?"

"I'm not going to tell you. You'll have to figure it out on your own. You were so proud of yourself when you got the idea, and I won't cheat you out of that moment by telling you."

"Awwe," Precious groaned. "Well, can I at least see that watch?"

"Sure." Terry handed her the watch. "We still can't figure out what it's for."

"I have a hunch." Precious put it on and ran her finger around the rim. Sure enough, the same hologram appeared.

"Hi Precious," the hologram said. "I know this has been a crazy day, but I hope you understand why by now. Hopefully, you guys have figured out who your foes are. Mr. Billings is jealous at my success. He's here to steal my Magic Hat so that he can better his technology and take my place. He brought Bombshell along for the ride because he knew her psychological powers could take him here, but she somehow knows parts of my secret. She thinks that with some manipulation she can make me into a weapon. Here's what you need to do, Precious. You'll run across both of them tomorrow. Answer their questions and do what they ask you do, but do not take off your Magic Hat for a second. Don't let them have it! At 3:00, all of you must be revealed and fight. Gather all the help that you need, but you do not need to worry about getting Magic Hat 2. As long as you are wearing this watch, that will be taken care of." The hologram closed her eyes, mumbled something, and transformed into a beautiful angel. "Don't lose heart, Muse! Remember, you have nothing to fear from your enemy! Your friends are with you." Then the hologram faded.

Precious leaned back in her bed. She could not believe a thing.

"I know you got a lot to think about," Static said. "You get some sleep."

"We'll see you tomorrow," Gear said.

"Uh, sweet dreams, Muse," Terry said as he turned off the lamp.

Just as they left, Static opened the door again. "By the way, I really like your room. I think this is the first time I've been here." He looked at a picture of his younger self. "Who is that handsome devil? I think you're a huge fan, whoever he is. He's all over the place." Precious giggled. "Well, goodnight."

TRANSITION

"Wake up, Honey. It's about time to go."

Precious groaned and groggily got up. It had not been a good night. She went over everything she experienced over and over, and she thought of new questions that really worried her. She did manage to get some sleep, but it still felt like once she went under that she woke up. Part of her wasn't convinced that it was completely real. As she got dressed, she said to her mother, "I had the strangest dream last night."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I dreamed that Virgil and Richie visited me, but they were grown up!"

"Grown up?"

"Yeah!" She continued to tell Claire as they walked down the stairs. "They were from the future, and they said I was going to be rich!"

"Wow, what a groovy dream!"

"Yeah, and . . ."

But then she noticed Terry getting up from the couch. He yawned and said, "Good morning."

"And what, Honey?" Claire asked.

"And . . . I think I need some coffee."

"OK, you go fix it." Claire had a big breakfast for Precious waiting with fruit, eggs, biscuits, and orange juice. "This food will help you concentrate."

Precious ate and brushed her teeth. Terry came behind her. "Didn't you get some breakfast?" she asked him.

"We got some sausage biscuits earlier. Virgil had some old school money on him. Now, here's the plan. I'm going to be with you all day, right by your side, unless you feel that it will distract you. Gear still wants to be with your mother and make sure that she remains safe. Static will keep a look out for Spellbinder and Bombshell and will try to keep them away from you."

"If you please, Terry, can't Static or Gear please stay with me? They're my friends, and they still know me."

"I still want to get to know you. I hear that you're one of the best superheroes ever, and I want to see your power and understand the person behind it."

"But I have a lot of questions, and I'm very worried, and I don't work well when I'm worried."

"Hmm. Well, maybe at least Virgil could accompany you for the ride. Don't ask anything too deep. We're not giving away too much."

"Thank you. I'll be careful."

When she was ready, she went downstairs. Gear was already in the front passenger seat. Precious opened the back door for Virgil to get in. "Mommy, can I sit in the back? I'm still kinda tired, and I'd like to lie down."

"OK, Honey, but try to stay awake."

"Thank you." She got in, buckled up, and leaned her head on Virgil's shoulder. "Why aren't you buckled up?" she whispered.

"Oh, Gear invented inertia force fields. Besides, a seat belt buckled with nobody in it probably would look pretty suspicious."

"Good point."

Clair started the car and put in a tape. Vivacious violin music played. "What is this?" Precious asked.

"Mozart. This music is proven to stimulate portions of your brain."

"I like it. Could you turn it up, please?"

"Sure, I can turn it up a little." She did.

"Good, we can talk," Precious said softly to Virgil.

"OK, so what's bothering you?" he replied.

"Just the whole rich thing. The more I thought of it, the more it troubled me. I just find it as a surprise. All I wanted was to be an RPG writer in Japan. What happened to my dream?"

"Oh, you're living your dream! You got all the RPGs you can play, and you always slate some time just to have fun. You're always coming up with new, amazing ideas."

"And what about the Muse? Is she still around?"

"Oh yeah. You're one of the major players in the Justice League now. Some of the only times we get to see each other anymore is in our superhero get up. Of course, you still find time to call me on the ole Shock Box occasionally."

"And I've heard so many stories about rich people becoming greedy and mean. Is that what's going to happen?"

"Not all rich people are mean. Bruce Wayne isn't mean."

"Mr. Wayne is rich?"

"Of course. He funded millions of dollars to make the place that you're going. And anyway, you don't have to worry about that. You give away much of your money to missionaries and charities. Everybody talks about how generous and kind hearted you are."

"But that's how I am in the public eye. What about me privately? Are we still friends? "

"Of course we are. We don't see each other much, like I said, because of the distance and I got my own life too. But you still consider me as an important part of your life. You've humbled me of what you asked me to do."

"Like what?"

"Well, I helped you learn how to drive."

"That's in a few years, isn't it?"

"It takes you a little longer than most people. Of course, now cars practically drive themselves. Let's see, what else? Well, you asked me to present you at your reception. Adam did the music of course, and Sharon helped. I never noticed how beautiful Sharon's voice was until she sang 'Unforgettable.'"

"What do you mean? What kind of reception?"

"You know, the big one. You're . . . wedding reception."

"I get married? To whom?"

"Nobody you know yet."

"I didn't expect that I was going to get married. Come on, who is it?"

"Somebody who needs you as much as you need him."

"Do I meet him in college?"

"Maybe."

"Does he know I'm a superhero?"

"Perhaps."

"Is he a superhero?"

"He could be."

"Oh man, you're driving me nuts!"

"Sorry, can't say more than that. You want some of your future to be a surprise, don't you?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

They were quiet for several minutes, then Virgil spoke up again. "Well, there is something that I think you should know. The other guys may not want me to say this, but I feel like I gotta. Precious, the first few years when you out on your own are going to be hard. You do move to Japan. You're far from everyone you love, and you feel lonely. You experience a lot of doors shut in your face, and the superhero scene isn't very accepting. On top of this, there's a lot of personal tragedy that goes on. But I want you to know that in spite of everything, it's all gonna be ok. You're gonna have a dream life, and you'll be very happy, and things are gonna work out. You remember that will you?"

"Yeah, I'll remember."

"I mean, there's no reason to do anything drastic."

"Drastic? What do you mean, 'drastic.'"

Virgil shook his head. "Don't make me say it, please. I'm still in denial that you even tried it."

"What? Do I do something really bad?"

Virgil just sighed. "You'll understand when the time comes, and I pray that on that day you remember my words."

"OK, I'll try. I'm sorry."

"I know. You told me when it was all over."

Precious sighed and looked out the window. Virgil softly stroked her hair. "Thank you for saving me yesterday from Donnie and Clayton," Precious whispered.

"No prob. Hey, you're the one who called for me."

They were very quiet. Precious listened to the music and watched the sights as the sun came up.

"We're almost there, Sweetie," Claire said. "Just a few more miles to go. Hey, isn't that interesting? That building looks like a big T."

Precious snapped up. "That's Titan Tower! Can we please get a closer look?"

"Well . . . ok. We are a little early." She took the next exit and drove a little while until they were right outside the Tower. "Very impressive. Looks nice in the sunrise. Hey, is that Robin? What's he doing all the way out here, and where's Batman? He sure looks like he's getting a workout."

Robin was outside all by himself on the obstacle course. "I got an idea. Roll the window down," Precious whispered to Virgil. Virgil did, and Precious stuck her head out the window. "Hi Robin! I'm a big fan!"

"Oh, good morning!" he called back. "How are you today?"

"Good. How about you?"

"I'm OK. Just getting an early morning workout."

"Alright, well keep up the good work."

"Thanks. Have a good day!"

Virgil rolled the window back up, and Claire started to drive away. "Uh, I don't think Robin knows who you are outside of uniform."

"Robin wasn't really the one who I came here to contact," she answered. She looked out the window and concentrated really hard. "Raven! Raven, are you there? It's me, the Muse. Can you hear me?" She was thinking so hard, she mouthed the words.

"I can hear you," a voice replied in her mind. "In fact, you don't have to be so loud."

"Sorry. I'm not used to talking to anybody telepathically."

"Don't concentrate too hard. Just think. Now, why are you here? What do you need me to do?"

"I don't have much time to explain. I need the Titans' help. Please come to the ARC at 3:00."

"No problem. What's the ARC?"

"I don't know exactly, but it's in Gotham City. Maybe Robin would know." Raven didn't answer. "Raven? Are you there? We must be too far to maintain contact."

"So, who are these Titans?" Claire asked.

"I've heard of them, but I haven't seen all of them in action. They're a group of young superheroes, and Robin is their leader."

"Cool. I'm glad you got to see him." She thought to herself, "Maybe it will take your mind off of seeing Batman."

About half an hour later, they were at the large office building. They went up a few floors to an office. Precious immediately went over to inspect the books and toys. Claire started filling out forms. The other superheroes took a seat.

"There's still trouble in the Middle East?" Virgil commented on a news report on TV. "Man, we went back farther than I thought."

"Mommy told me there's always going to be trouble in the Middle East," Precious whispered.

"Yeah, but it's gotten a lot better. We just had the Olympics in Bagdad with no incident."

Just then, somebody came in. Claire got to her feet. "Bruce Wayne?"

"Ah," he said. "You must be Claire Foley. Please to meet you at last." He shook her hand. "My goodness, you are lovely."

"Wow. I can't believe that you are taking time away from your busy life to see me."

"Well, I don't have long. I just wanted to say hi real quick. Is that your daughter?"

"Yes, that's my Precious."

"May I see her?"

"Be my guest."

He walked over to her corner and knelt down. "How are you doing?" he said gently.

"You're Mr. Wayne?"

"That's right."

"You're very powerful and respected in Gotham City, right?"

"Yes, I am."

She said in a half whisper, "Can I ask you something?"

"You asked me something three times, but I can answer something else."

She whispered really low, "How well do you know Batman?"

Bruce was taken aback. "Uh, about as well as everybody else in the city."

"You have to excuse her," Claire said. "She is obsessed with superheroes. Ever since she heard we were coming to Gotham City, all she wanted was to see Batman."

"Ms. Foley, can I see you for a minute?" the secretary asked.

Claire got up and checked with her, and Bruce said in a deeper voice, "What do you want to know?"

"I need you to send him a message somehow," she answered. "The Muse needs him. I know her personally, and she's in trouble. He needs to come here at 3:00."

"Should Batman also tell her partners in Dakota?"

"He doesn't have to. Besides they're busy. Oh, and tell him to let Alfred take care of her," she pointed to Claire. "He knows who Alfred is. If there's danger here, I don't want her to get her."

"I'll take care of it." Bruce got up. "My, she has a fascinating imagination."

"Yes she does," Claire laughed.

"Oh, by the way," Bruce whispered, "I did a lot of background checks, and I couldn't find any information on the Braintrust or Ira Billings. But I'm not giving up. If I find anything, I'll call the receptionist, and if you have any concerns, call me. I believe you have my number."

"Alright, sir, thank you."

Then, somebody came in from the clinical area. "Miss Foley!" An Oriental man in a white lab coat approached her. "Glad to finally meet you. I'm Grant Temple."

"Dr. Temple? I didn't know that you worked here!"

"I come and go. We trade research findings. This is really the first time I did a project with them at Mr. Wayne's request. Allow me to introduce my assistant–"

"SURPRISE!" A familiar face popped out from behind the doctor and waved cheerfully.

"Sharon!" Precious said eagerly.

"Sharon?" Virgil said in disbelief.

"Oh, so you know each other already. Good."

"Yeah, she's a friend of my little brother's," Sharon explained to him.

"You don't think this will cause a conflict of interest, Doctor, do you?" Claire asked.

"Well, I think it will put your daughter more at ease. Sharon is going to administer most of the tests. Autistic children function best when something in their environment is familiar."

"So, Precious, are you ready?" Sharon asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Precious answered.

"Come on, then." Precious followed Sharon to the back, and Virgil followed Precious. "So, how are you?"

"I'm doing good. How's your family?"

"Everybody's fine. Oh hey, did you hear about Virgil? He's starring in a Shakespeare play."

"Yeah, I heard. Richie's in it too."

"Needless to say, we're all proud. Though I am kinda shocked. Who knew Virgil had that level of culture?"

"Well, what do you expect, Sharon?" Virgil said. "I share my name with an epic poet, remember?"

Precious giggled and waited for Sharon's comeback, but then she remembered that Sharon couldn't hear him. "He shares his name with an epic poet, you know," she repeated.

Sharon stopped and turned back to her. "How did you know that?"

"Virgil told me."

"So what did the original Virgil write?"

Precious paused because she had no idea that there was a poet named Virgil, let alone what his poetry was. What was an epic anyway? "The Aeneid," Virgil said, and Precious repeated.

"Very good," Sharon nodded. "Have you read it before?"

"No."

"It's really hard. Maybe you'll read it in college." They finally reached a room in the back. "Have a seat. I gotta go get some things real quick, so hang tight." She closed the door.

"Sharon," Virgil sighed. "I didn't think I'd see her."

"What's wrong?" Precious asked.

"It's just been a while since we've seen each other. Something happened to her, and well, I really learned to appreciate her more."

"Oh no! Do you mean, she . . . ?"

But Virgil looked like he did not want to answer. Sharon came back in. "So, let's get this thing started."

Basically, Sharon made Precious do several manual puzzles. She showed her pictures and told her to make sentences based on them that contained certain words. Most of the time, though, they talked.

"Alright, I need to give some of this information to Dr. Temple. I'll be right back."

"OK." Sharon left the room, and Virgil followed her. Sharon did not close the door this time. Precious waited patiently until she heard a voice behind her.

"Precious? Would you come with me, please?"

Precious turned around and saw a short woman with dark hair and a malicious smile on her face.

TRANSITION

Robin came into the den of Titan Tower. As usual, Cyborg was playing video games and Beast Boy was making breakfast.

"Morning Robin!" Beast Boy greeted. "Want some tofu bacon?"

"Tofu bacon? That exists?"

"Yeah, it's new."

"I'll pass. I was in the mood for some cereal anyway." Robin poured himself a bowl. "I just experienced one of the drawbacks of having such an obvious hideout. A fan just drove on up here and shouted. I didn't know exactly what to do, but I tried to play it cool."

"That was no ordinary fan," a voice said behind him.

Robin nearly dropped his bowl. "Raven, you scared me."

"That was the Muse. She spoke to me telepathically. She's in trouble, and she needs our help."

"She sure didn't look like she needed help."

"I don't know how, but she somehow knows that trouble is coming later today. She wanted us at 3:00. Incidently, do you know what the ark is?"

"A big boat in the Bible," Robin shrugged.

"It's where we need to find her. It's in Gotham, and she said you what it is. Before I could get more information, she was out of range."

"That's going to take some investigation."

TRANSITION

Virgil and Richie practiced for the play as they were waiting for biology to begin. Richie said one of his most notable lines in a sly whisper, "'O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on.'"

"Oh treachery!" Virgil replied in a mournful voice.

"It's 'misery,' Virg."

"Oh yeah. I always get those mixed up."

They continued to rehearse through roll call. Then, in the middle of roll call, a voice came on the intercom. "Could Virgil Hawkins and Richie Foley please come to the office? Someone is here to pick them up."

They went down to the office. Virgil was confused and concerned as to why they were being called up. Richie just wanted to keep rehearsing. Yet when they got there, Virgil stopped short. "You! Dawg! What brings you here?"

"No times for questions. Right this way." Alfred led them outside. "I took another vehicle here. There is your ride." He pointed to the other side of the parking lot. There was the Batmobile waiting for them.

TRANSITION

"What are you doing?" Terry shouted at Virgil as he walked after Sharon.

"That's my sister. I haven't seen her in years. I miss her."

"You're just as bad as your friend, you know that."

"I'm telling you, Terry, if you could see your father alive again, you'd understand."

"Well, right now all I understand is that your precious Muse is unguarded, and I just saw Ira Billings walk into the other room."

"I got her in sight."

"Slag!" Terry went into the other room in a huff. He closed the door behind him.

"How did that happen?" Bombshell asked Precious tactfully. "Did you do that?"

"No. It might have been the wind."

"It wasn't the wind."

Terry caught on. "Slag!"

"I didn't do it!" Precious repeated. "That's not important anyway, is it? Who cares who closed that door?"

"Do you want to go to a better school or not?" Mr. Billings yelled.

"That's enough, Ira. She's not lying."

"Very well. Precious, I hear you have a special talent, and I would like to see you do it. So," Mr. Billings took a deep breath, "Antidisestablishmentarianism."

Precious gave him a blank stare. She knew her future self told her to answer all of their questions, but she felt that a little defiance was in order. She knew that was one of the longest words in the English language. She was aching to give it a try, but she couldn't find it in her mental dictionary.

"Well, spell it!"

"I-T," she answered blandly.

"What? What are you trying to pull?"

"You told me to spell it."

"But what about anti–"

"Ira, that's not important!" Bombshell said. "We have more significant tests for you, my dear. Look." She put down on the table a hi-bounce ball. "I hear that you like colors. This ball has a lot of colors, does it not?"

"Yes. It's pretty."

"Don't you think? Now, why don't you make it bounce?"

"OK." Precious reached for it.

"No, no, no, no. Don't touch it. Bounce it using your mind."

"That's impossible. Well, maybe not impossible. You're talking about tele-kinnnesis, right? I've seen some people who could do it. One's in jail. But I can't do it."

"We have on good authority that you can," Mr. Billings answered.

"What do you mean?"

"Look at me," Bombshell answered. "I can see into your mind, my dear. Do you know that Extra Sensory Perception opens channels in the mind that are normally closed? These passages are dilated in your mind. You spoke telepathically with someone less than twenty-four hours ago."

Precious gasped then tried to regain her composure. She looked around in confusion.

"There's no point in lying, dear."

"I won't lie. Lying is wrong. But, I just . . . I don't want to talk about it." Bombshell continued to stare. Precious knew she would uncover all sorts of secrets if the girl stayed quiet for too long. "Alright. I did speak to someone telepathically, but I'm not the telepath."

"Have you ever tapped into your true potential?" Mr. Billings asked. "Have you ever experimented with that hat?"

"What about it?"

"We hear that the hat of yours can do incredible things."

"The hat? What's so special about the hat? I know it's called the Magic Hat and all, and I feel really good wearing it, but it's just the colors and the lights, right?"

"Now, I see you are covering something up," Bombshell said.

Precious gasped and looked toward Terry.

"What are you looking at, child? Why aren't you looking at me, or at least the ball? Aren't you still trying to make it bounce?"

"No, I don't wanna!"

Suddenly, there was a huge bang that shook the mirror behind her. The door burst open, and a ver angry Sharon Hawkins approached Bombshell. "Excuse me. This is my patient! I'm testing her! You're not even supposed to be here if you don't work at the ARC! Did Dr. Temple clear you?"

"Sharon, relax," Mr. Billings answered.

"I will NOT relax!" Sharon continued to yell. Mr. Billings pulled something out of his coat.

"Uh-oh," Terry said. "Precious, cover your eyes." Precious did so. There was a flash, and then Sharon stopped yelling. She walked out of the room, disoriented.

"What did you just to my friend?" Precious demanded.

"Preoccupied her," Mr. Billings answered. "She's fine. But back to your hat. Why don't you let me see it? I can show you what it can do."

"NO!" Precious screamed and held it tighter on her head. "MY HAT! YOU DON'T TOUCH IT!"

"Don't you want to see what you can do?"

"UH-UHH! I WON'T PUSH MYSELF! GET AWAY!"

"I got an idea to get them off you back," Terry said. He reached over the table and picked up the ball. He slowly carried it up, then he threw it in Bombshell's face. "Now, run for it!" Precious did.

"Why did you do that?" she said angrily to Terry as they tried to hide. "You just confirmed that I was a telepath!"

"OK, maybe I wasn't thinking too clearly. Virgil! Virgil, where are you?"

"Where's the fire, kid?" Virgil yelled.

"You wanted to look after your sister, and she needs looking after!"

"What? Whoa!" Sharon was running around and throwing papers everywhere. He ran up to her. "Sorry about this, Sis." He put his hand on her head and gave her a shock. Sharon stopped and blinked. "Feel better?"

"Uh, what just happened?" she asked. "Oh, Precious! Precious!"

"I'm right here!" she answered.

Sharon got her. "Let's get out of here. Why don't we break for lunch early?"

"Yeah, I am kinda hungry."

"We're not supposed to do this, but why don't we go to Burger Fool, my treat?"

"Sounds good."

They went out, not knowing that the superhero villains were watching them.

"What made her break out of it so easily?" Mr. Billings asked.

"The girl did it," Bombshell answered. "I felt something very powerful, and I believe it came from her mind."

"This isn't going to be as easy as we hoped," Mr. Billings sighed.

"Yes. She is not as naive and trusting as she looks. She knows something. But we won't stop. We will get that hat," Bombshell's eyes glowed with a strange fire as she finished, "no matter what it takes."

TRANSITION

Well, why don't we break here too? I don't know why my stories end up so long. This is already 21 pages, and I haven't even reached the exciting part yet. Anyhow, the next chapter will be the big showdown.


	12. A Showdown Across Time

Episode 11: A Showdown Across Time

Sorry it took so long. I got stuck, and I wrote two other episodes. That's why I'm posting three at once. I might have made a mistake when I ended that last chapter. I hope this one is not super short. I don't think it will be, though.

After lunch, Sharon spoke secretly to Dr. Temple and explained about the two mysterious people who tried to take over. He agreed to have the test moved over to another wing of the building. "There's a room over here, just beyond the play area," Dr. Temple explained. On the way, Precious noticed a water fountain. "Sharon, can I get a drink real quick?"

"You just had a large Dr. Pepps at Burger Fool. You're still thirsty?" Sharon said.

"A little bit."

"Alright then, but make it quick."

She went over and knelt to drink, then she saw something else. The fountain was right next to a glass door, and the room was much like her old classroom. But what she saw was a boy about her age with wavy, blond hair and deep, deep blue eyes. He pressed himself against the door and stared at her with those eyes. Precious took a small sip of water and looked up at him. There was something about those eyes.

"Who is that?" she asked.

"Oh, that little Eli," Dr. Temple answered.

"That's little Eli, the boy you keep telling us about?" Sharon said.

"That's him."

"Wow. He's older than I thought."

"Well, he's been here for years."

"How's he doing, by the way?"

"I hear that we're starting to make progress. He's starting to communicate with an original sign language. He saw Batman in person not too long ago, and ever since he's been interested in all sorts of superheroes."

"Sounds like you two would get along great!" Sharon laughed as she patted Precious' shoulder.

Dr. Temple said something else, but Precious was distracted. Eli put his hands level with his head and closed and opened his palms as he continued to stare at her. "It looks like he's trying to talk to me," she said.

"That's odd," Dr. Temple said. "That's his symbol for Static."

"Static?" Precious waited until Sharon started talking to Dr. Temple again, then she whispered, "Virgil, I think he sees you."

"Huh? What? Sorry, I was listening to . . ." Then Virgil noticed the boy. Virgil was very quiet, then he whispered something that sounded like, "Ragnarok." Then he created a speck of light with his finger and traced a message in the air, "Hey bro!" The boy jumped up and down in excitement.

"Do you know him?" Precious asked.

Virgil quickly withdrew his hand. "Uh, I might have run across him a few times."

"No, you know him. You don't just call anybody 'bro.'"

"Come along, Precious!" Sharon said. "We still got a test to do."

"OK." She followed Sharon to a small room, but several times Precious had to look back at Eli. Those eyes . . .

TRANSITION

Gear was still sitting in the lobby next to his aunt. "How you holding up?" he asked. Of course, Claire didn't answer. "That's what I thought," Richie laughed. Claire continued to flip through a magazine.

Richie took a deep breath. "Auntie, I know I've said this a thousand times these last two days, but a thousand and one can't hurt. I miss you. I really do. Your daughter misses you even more, you know. I know she's with you now, but . . . you gotta treasure this. Please wake up, Auntie. We need–"

"Miss Foley, I presume," a voice interrupted. A British man wearing a tuxedo had come in.

"Oh, hello," she said. "I recognize your voice. You must be Mr. Pennyworth."

"Master Bruce wishes for me to escort you to his mansion."

"Fine, after my daughter is done."

"No, I mean now."

"What is going here?"

"I will explain on the way. Come along."

"Go on with Alfred, Auntie. You'll be safe," Richie said. He glanced up at a clock and saw it that it a quarter to three. "It's almost show time. I gotta go. Goodbye, Aunt Claire. One last hug?" He came behind her and squeezed her shoulders.

"Huh?" Claire turned around. Once again, she saw no one. "Sorry. I've really been on edge lately. I don't know what it is."

Richie watched her leave, then he went back into the clinical area.

TRANSITION

"Well, that's it," Sharon said after a few hours of testing. "You did great after such a stressful day. You should be proud of yourself."

"So, you think I passed?" Precious asked.

"Well, Dr. Temple's gotta review all the material. It will take a few months for us to get a definite answer."

"What time is it?"

Sharon checked her watch. "Ten till. Why? You have a watch."

"Yeah, but it's stuck. Ten till what?"

"Three."

Scarcely after she spoke that word, the door exploded. Sharon was knocked down. Virgil immediately tended to her. Bombshell came in through the newly made hole. "There you are, my dear. Now, would you kindly come with me?"

"No!" she shouted. She ran to Virgil and hit his shoulder. "We have to get going! It's almost time!" she whispered.

"Right," he answered. "Head for the door." Precious did, but Bombshell tried to keep her from getting out. As Precious came toward her, Static got up front and pushed Bombshell out of the way. They ran down the hall, passing by the play room on the way. Precious saw Eli out of the corner of her eye. She wanted to look at him more closely, but there wasn't time.

"Over here!" Terry was calling to them from in a storeroom. He was in his Batman costume. Precious and Virgil slipped into the door, and Gear came in as well.

"Oh, how is this going to work?" Precious whined. "How will it know that it's 3:00? It said 3:00 all day!"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Gear shrugged.

"And I really don't understand how I can change without my Magic Hat. Wait, that hologram, she wasn't wearing a Magic Hat."

"This is going to sound strange, but in the future, the Magic Hat is inside your head instead of outside," Static explained.

"You're right, that does sound strange." Just then, they all heard a thump and voices outside. Precious ran and opened the window. She gasped, "Static? Gear?"

"Hey! We found the best place to get off!" Static answered. He flew up to her and handed her Magic Hat 2. "I believe this is yours, milady," he said in a dramatic voice.

"What about play practice?"

"Batman got us out of school, said you were in trouble."

"I told through my message not to bother you!"

"Hey, he knew that you couldn't change without your Magic Hat," Gear answered. "Don't worry. We recited our lines on the way here. We had such a long drive, we had little time for anything else."

"Guys, it's not a good idea for you to be here!"

"No, no, it's OK," future Virgil answered. "I saw my past self before, and the world did not blow up."

"But it will be so confusing!" she hissed.

"What's confusing?" present Virgil said. "We're here when we're supposed to be in Dakota? You know we'd help you if you were in trouble, no matter where you are!"

"You don't know! It's a long story. I–" Just then, her watch beeped repetitively. A light emitted from the watch. It scanned over her and transformed her into the Muse. The same light flashed once, and when it faded all the future people had shadows and more detail.

"What's this?" present Gear said.

"These are the people I told you about that were following me."

"She sees future people," present Static whispered. "How you doing, man?" he said reaching out for Terry's hand. "It's been a while."

Terry quickly took away his hand. "There's no time for greetings. Bombshell and Spellbinder are out looking for this girl."

"Bombshell and Spellbinder?" present Gear asked.

"No time to explain!" future Static yelled. "Let's go!"

They ran out of the store room. "By the way, where's Batman?" the Muse asked.

"He said he knew a special entrance," present Static answered.

"Did you all see the Titans on the way here?"

"No."

"Come on, Muse!" future Static yelled.

The Muse got up to the front. They kept running until they came upon Bombshell and a figure completely obscured by a red and black costume. "Muse!" the figure said suavely.

"That's right."

"What are you doing in Gotham?"

"I know what you're up to! I brought a few friends that you might find familiar." Terry stepped beside her.

"Batman!" the figure growled.

"Spellbinder," Terry sneered.

The other superheroes stepped forward. "Static! Gear!" Bombshell yelled.

"Static? Gear?" Spellbinder said when he saw the present editions next to the future ones.

The present Batman suddenly leapt behind the villains. "Batman?" Bombshell said.

There was a commotion, but Spellbinder got over it when he spied what was still cradled in the Muse's arms. "The hat!"

Before the Muse knew what he was doing, Spellbinder pulled out a device that looked like an eye. It flashed. Suddenly, the Muse was standing on a crowded street in a third world country. A little boy wearing almost nothing sat on the side of the street. He was only skin and bones, and he was crying. The Muse then noticed that she was carrying a bowl of fruit. She knew she had to share, but somehow just sharing didn't feel like it would be enough. She walked near the boy almost in slow motion and began to hand him the entire bowl. He reached up for it hungrily, then–

A shadow fell over her as someone appeared hovering above the poor boy. "Raven? What are you doing here?"

She answered by pointing at the Muse and chanting, "Azerath, Metrion, ZINTHOS!" Immediately, everything disappeared, and she was back in the ARC again. "What you were seeing was not real," Raven explained.

"It was quite good, wasn't it?" Spellbinder asked. "Did it feel real to you?"

"Uh, yeah I guess so," the Muse answered.

"I know why you're hesitating. I can make it better, though. All I need is that hat you hold in your hands."

"Uh-uhh!" she answered shaking her head. "I know someone who can use that hat. Magic!" She used her powers to push him back. Then she handed the hat to Raven. "Here, put this somewhere safe."

"I will." Raven flew away. Just behind her were the whole group of the Titans.

"Titans, go!" Robin ordered. And the Titans went.

Meanwhile, Raven flew around looking for a place to put the Magic Hat. "Maybe in a closet," she thought.

"RAVEN!" a voice screamed in her head. Raven cringed and looked around. All she saw was a wild-haired young boy with bulging eyes. He waved his hands around his face.

She can feel his thoughts. Her mind flashed with all sorts of images. She could tell that he wanted to help, and she decided to appease him just to clear her head again. "Do you want to help?" she asked telepathically.

The boy nodded.

She put the hat in his arms. "Make sure nobody gets it." The boy nodded again.

TRANSITION

"My goodness, this is what it's like to live as a billionaire, huh?" Claire said uneasily as she came into Wayne Manor.

"Make yourself at home, Madam," Alfred said.

"Oh, thank you." She took around and saw a bat stuck in a grandfather clock. "Say, um, did you know you have a little bit of a pest problem?"

"They're more like pets, actually," Alfred answered.

"Oh. So, Mr. Wayne must really like bats."

"You could say that."

"OK, cool." She found a place to sit down.

"Would you like to watch television?" Alfred asked.

"Uh, may I? It is time for 'Dr. Phil.'"

"Absolutely." Alfred turned the TV on. The first thing she saw was the ARC.

"Two mysterious assailants have taken over the Bruce Wayne Autism Research Center," a reporter said. "Luckily, several superheroes have appeared to take the center back, including our own Batman, the Teen Titans, Static, Gear, the Muse, and what is apparently Static, Gear, and Batman look alikes."

"Oh my goodness! That's where my baby is!" Claire yelled. "Mr. Pennyworth, I need to go back! I need to get my baby!"

"I believe she is in good hands, Madam," Alfred answered. "I have orders not to let you leave until after Master Bruce has given the signal."

"In he in on this?"

"I do not know."

"But how would he know?" Then she gasped. "How did SHE know?"

TRANSITION

The battle was very difficult. Even though Spellbinder and Bombshell were seriously outnumbered, their powers compensated quite nicely. Present Static and Gear were helping people get out safely. Future Batman, Static, and Gear were taking on Spellbinder, and all the Muse could do was marvel at their advanced power. She helped when they needed it. She wasn't sure where the original Batman went. The Titans were mostly adding extra support as well. Raven snapped the heroes back to reality whenever Spellbinder tried to put them into a dream again, but then Robin had other ideas.

"Raven," Robin ordered, "The woman's powers are psychic in nature. Maybe you can use your powers to block hers."

"I got my hands full," she answered. "Every time that guy in the stripes creates a mental illusion, I got to stop it."

"We'll work on that. You take the woman out."

"All right." Raven approached Bombshell.

"Oh, so you are the infamous Project Raven?" Bombshell said with a smile.

"What are you talking about?"

"We have files on you, my dear. How would you like to join the Braintrust?"

"What? You're from the Braintrust! You're going to get it now!" Raven fought like she never fought before. Bombshell still proved to be more powerful.

Then Spellbinder advanced on the Muse. "Now, honey, there's no reason to have this all-out war. All we want is that hat."

"And the person who owns it," Bombshell added.

"Don't you realize what you're going to do to her?" she yelled. "She'll lose her mind! She won't be able to take it!"

"We don't care!" Bombshell answered. "She'll still be able to work for us!"

"And I'll still be rich!" Spellbinder added.

Suddenly, the original Batman jumped in front of her. "What are you doing? Are you going to hurt her?"

"Not unless she agrees with us," Spellbinder said suavely.

"Never!" she answered.

"Then we will hurt you!" Bombshell answered. She let out an explosion. Batman tried to block it, but he was forced back and landed on top of the Muse in a broom closet.

"Ow," the Muse groaned.

"Sorry," Batman said.

The Muse groped around as she got up, and she accidently pulled off Batman's cowl. "OH MY GOODNESS! I'M SO SORRY! I'M NOT LOOKING, PUT IT BACK ON. IT WAS AN ACCIDENT, I DIDN'T MEAN IT, I'M SORRY!!!!!!!"

"Precious, it's ok."

The Muse peeked through her fingers. "Mr. Wayne?"

"Yeah. Didn't Virgil tell you?"

"Well, Virgil's had his hands full lately. He's starring in Othello."

"I didn't know that. I bet that'll be a good show."

"I guess we better get back."

"Yeah."

The fight was still going on, and as everybody was starting to lose energy Spellbinder and Bombshell had the advantage. Sharon happened to come in the middle of all the fighting.

"SHARON!" future Static screamed. He jumped out to save her.

"Wow, Static, when'd you become such a hunk?" Sharon asked simperingly.

"Well, my big sister fed me right," he answered. Sharon giggled. "Here. This'll keep you safe." He formed a huge dome of energy around her.

The fight continued for almost an hour. Soon, everybody was beaten down and exhausted physically and mentally. Spellbinder stood over the Muse's body. "So, will you tell me where the hat is?"

"Don't ask her," Bombshell said. She held up Raven. "This girl knows."

"You won't get it," Raven said. "Someone else is guarding it, somebody determined, somebody faithful."

"Who?" Bombshell screamed.

Suddenly, the room went up in flames. A wall of fire surrounded the foes. At first they did not seem worried, but then Bombshell tested it. She shrieked. "This is no illusion!"

The Muse shrieked and covered her ears. She was sure the fire alarm was going to go off.

Cyborg was searching for a water cannon arm. Beast Boy turned into an elephant. Both of them spouted water toward the fire, but it had no effect.

"Raven, can you smother it?" Robin asked.

"I don't think I need to," Raven answered.

"We got them trapped now," Static said to the Muse. "Why don't we pen them up?"

"You do it!" she yelled.

"Muse," he whispered, "it's not a real fire. Well, not to you anyway. The alarms won't go off. Everybody's safe, except for our criminals."

She sighed and stood. "Magic!" she yelled. The foes were surrounded by a bubble, and the flames disappeared. "So, where did you learn that trick?" she asked future Static.

"I didn't. He did."

Static pointed down the hall. There at the end with the Magic Hat on his head was Eli. He walked slowly up to the Muse, took the Magic Hat off, and smiled. The Muse smiled back. Those eyes even looked better when he was happy.

"Ragnarok?" Gear asked.

"Yeah, Ragnarok," Static nodded.

"What does that mean?" the Muse asked future Batman.

"I don't know. Maybe it's old school slang."

Present Static and Gear came back. "Well, everybody's out," present Static said.

"Y'all know where Aunt Claire is?" Gear asked.

"She's safe at Wayne Manor," future Gear answered.

"OK, we're ready," future Static said. "We'll be gone in thirty seconds."

"Awe man, we didn't get to work together!" present Static complained.

"We didn't miss you much," Terry answered.

"So, you have anything to say before you guys go?"

Future Static patted present Static's shoulder. "Take good care of your sister. And lighten up on her. One day you might regret how hard you've treated her."

"Oh, I hear you."

"And you," future Gear said to present Gear, "You look out for your aunt."

"I will," present Gear answered.

"Guys, it was great working with you," the Muse said. "Especially you, Terry. You're a good friend, and I'm going to miss you a lot. I hope we'll have lots of adventures in the future. You'll remember me, will you?"

"Sure. I got to remember because you are every bit as schway as they've been telling me. In fact, you're the creme de la schway."

"What?"

"Uh, that means you da bomb," future Static answered.

"Oh. Thanks." She reached up to hug him, but as she did, Terry, Static, Gear, and the two criminals were enveloped in a green light. "Wait a minute!" The Muse tore off her watch. "Don't you need this?" But it was too late. They disappeared.

"So, how did they get here?" Static asked.

"They traveled through time of course, and then they followed me around, like I told you. But it was weird because I was the only one who could see them. It's like a third sight, you know, like the first is reality, and the second is the imagination, and the third is neither one. But now I got this watch. They need it more than I do. Hey, maybe I'm supposed to have this watch. That way I can give it to Terry at the right time, and he can give it to me, and I can give it to him, and . . . wait a minute. If that's true, then where did this watch really come from? How was it made? When did I record the message on it?"

"Well, that's easy," Gear said. "You bought it, and somehow you recorded on it."

"But how could I if I had it all along? I . . . I think I'm going to have to think about this for another forty years."

TRANSITION

A month or two later, Claire got the results. She read them through thoroughly. Then the phone rang.

"Hello Ms. Foley," Mr. Wayne said on the other line. "I was calling to see if you got the results yet."

"Yes I did. It looks good. So, you think she might have Asperger's?"

"Well, from what I understand, it's not quite AS, but it's really close."

"But it's still enough to get her into a new school, right?"

"I'll fight to get her placed into better school myself if I have to."

"This is wonderful."

"But I do have a suggestion. She'd be going directly into junior high, and that can be stressful on her, especially because of how little she actually learned in her previous school. I think you ought to home school her for part of the day, just to fill her in on what she's missing."

"Well, that's a tall order. I am a single parent with a demanding job."

"I'd be happy to send a tutor."

"I'll do whatever I can for my baby. I'll think about it. I hate to cut this short, but Precious and I are going down to Dakota tonight. Her cousin and her closest friend are the stars of a play, and Precious has been begging me to see it."

"Oh, so you're going to see Othello at Dakota High School?"

"That's right."

"What a coincidence! I was planning on seeing that as well."

"You were?"

"Yes, I donated some money to their art program a while ago, and I want to see what they're doing with it. You know, I'm going to be alone. It would be nice to have some company. Would you mind if you and your daughter sit with me?"

Claire paused. "Yes. Yes, I'd think I'd love that."

"Thank you. I'll meet you there."

"Right." She hung up the phone and went upstairs to put on some extra makeup and perfume.

Next Episode: Secrets Revealed–Precious turns 13, and all of her superhero friends throw a huge surprise party. But then Claire shows up and tells Precious a devastating secret that shakes her world. The Muse is prepared to end her career forever, and to make matters worse two has-been villains have returned to ruin the Muse's reputation.


	13. Secrets Revealed

Episode 12: Secrets Revealed

Years ago, everyone was crazy about him. He had his own TV show. He was cute, witty, and the coolest of the cool. His picture was all over the place. He got thousands of dollars. He felt richer, more popular, and happier than anyone else in the world.

Then, when he turned 13, everything changed.

He wasn't cute anymore. He got acne. His voice started to change. It wasn't long until all of his merchandise became memorabilia. His show was canceled in the blink of an eye. His parents got all of his money. His mother told him she was reserving it for college, but his dad spent it all for himself. But it wasn't really the loss of all that money that shook him. Suddenly, he was a nobody again. He had lost all the respect and popularity he felt he had earned.

He turned his life to crime, and it made him feel better. Unfortunately. he was caught. His parents were good enough to give him a lawyer, who was at least able to get him sentenced to a cushier prison. Now, all he could think of was how good he had it before and how he lost everything.

He blamed his adolescence.

The guard pounding on the bars of his cell broke the prisoner out of his reverie. "Hey, Hollywood!" the guard yelled. "You got a visitor!"

"I'm in no mood for jokes!" the prisoner yelled back.

But there was a visitor, a little girl who looked no older than 5. She had golden curls, a pink dress, and bright eyes. She squealed at she saw him. "JOHNNY MORWOW!" she lisped. "I CAN'T BELIEVE I MEETING YOU! YOU'RE THE BESTEST EVER!" She looked up at the guard. "Mr. Johnson, can you pwease hold my dollwy so I can get Johnny's autogwaph?"

"Sure, Princess," the guard said as he took the doll. "Now, you be careful. I know he was a star and all, but he's different now."

Johnny couldn't believe someone remembered him. He came closer and signed the piece of paper. "You don't know how happy this makes me, sweetheart," he said. "I guess this means my show's finally in reruns?"

The girl stared.

"I mean, my show must have first aired way before your time."

Suddenly, the guard started coughing. The doll he was holding was giving off some kind of green gas. The guard hit the floor. As Johnny wondered what on earth was going on, the girl pulled him closer to her.

"Actually, I'm older than your mother," she said in a normal voice.

Now that Johnny saw her closer, he recognized her. "Baby?"

"The one, the only!"

"Wow! I wish I had your autograph! You really inspired me!"

"To become a child star or a criminal?"

"Both!"

Baby giggled. "Come on. I'll bust you out." She grabbed the keys off of the guard and unlocked his cell, but she couldn't open it. Johnny tried to help, but it wasn't much good. "Why don't you duplicate yourself? I hear that's your power."

"Uh, I'm kinda heavily monitored."

"No problem." Baby bounced a high bounce ball, and it broke all the cameras in his cell. "Now!"

"OK, but I'm out of practice." Johnny glowed purple and concentrated until several clones appeared. They pushed open the door. The alarm went off. They ran. Johnny used his clones to fight off the guards, and Baby used her toys to destroy any hi-tech equipment that tried to stop them. They ended up sliding down a laundry chute out to freedom.

"They're going to catch us sooner or later," Johnny said. "What do we tell them then?"

"Same thing I always tell them," Baby answered.

Johnny realized what she was going to say, and he said it with her:

"I DIDN'T MEAN TO!" They shared a big laugh.

"So, why did you do that for me? Are you really a fan?"

"I care about your career, Johnny dear, since we are kindred spirits of sorts. I have a plan that will put both of us back into the spotlight."

"As stars or as criminals?"

"Yes."

TRANSITION

Richie tacked on one side of a colorful banner on the left wall of the gas station. "Easy. Easy. There." Once he felt the other side was stable and in place he let go. "Nice work, Backpack," he called over to his robot at the other wall. Richie got down from his ladder and looked up at the banner, which read:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MUSE!

"Perfect. Now, we need streamers and balloons. Lots of balloons, but we got to make sure they're high enough that nobody'll pop 'em." He and his robot worked together to complete the decorations. It took an hour, and he still wasn't done. "Man, when's everybody gonna get here?"

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Richie answered it. "Adam. It's about time."

"Hey Gear. So, this is you're hideout? It's kinda small."

"Hey, it's usually just Static, Muse, and me, and sometimes Shebang."

"Yeah, but is it big enough to have a party? You sure we shouldn't have had it at my place?"

"Maybe that would have been better, but as it was locked up when we started planning this, we didn't have a choice. Don't worry, not a whole lot more people are coming. By the way, we are so grateful that you took time off from your busy touring schedule to join us."

"No sweat man. It's fun going around singing to billions of people and making millions of g's--"

"Alright, dude, you don't have to rub it in that you're famous now."

"Right, but I've been excited about getting back to my roots as a DJ, especially for a girl I care about so much."

"Yeah, well, this is the material you got to work with." Gear handed him some cds.

"I know, Blue Man Group. I listen to them. They're cool."

"That's not all though."

"Mannheim Steamroller? Well, I know they make good Christmas music. Who's Mike Oldfield?"

"Another instrumentalist. He's from the UK."

"Oh. Alright. Well, I'll see what I can do with this stuff. I'll get my equipment set up."

"Hey, don't you want to help me blow up balloons?"

"Maybe in a minute."

The door knocked again. "Hey, Shebang!"

"Hi Gear. I got all the food ready. It only took all day."

"Great. Put it on the table over there. Virgil got some money together for a few pizzas also. You got the cake?"

"Oh yeah, wait till you see!" She ran out and brought it in. It was shaped just like the Muse in flight. "When the baker heard what it was for, he made it special, and he didn't charge a lot for it."

"It's beautiful. It is chocolate, right?"

"Yeah, it's chocolate, with whipped frosting. It should be good." Shebang brought in lots of food. She also set up a table for gifts. She did eventually helped Gear blow up some balloons.

Another knock on the door. Gear opened it. Robin stood there looking at a card. "Uh, is this the Abandoned Gas Station of Solitude?"

"You found it, man," Gear said. "Come on in. Didn't know you'd make it."

Robin walked in, but he was followed by Beast Boy. "Hey, if you think we'd a miss a party--"

"Then you don't know the Teen Titans very well," Cyborg answered as he strolled in.

"Correct," Starfire added. "We are all prepared to dig our shins!"

"Yay," Raven said unenthusiastically as she brought up the rear.

"OK, great to have all of you here," Gear said after a moment.

Beast Boy went over to the food table and revealed a platter of weird looking hot dogs. "I brought tofu dogs for everybody!" he proudly announced.

"I don't know, Greeny," Shebang said. "I was put in charge of the food, and I was specifically told to get all of her favorite things. I don't think she even likes tofu."

"Well, has she ever tried it?"

"I don't know. I don't think so."

"Then how do you know she doesn't like it?"

"Well, who likes tofu?"

"I do."

"Go ahead and put it on the table, Shebang," Gear said. "Her mother's a bit of a health nut, so they probably had tofu a few times. If she doesn't want it, she doesn't have to eat it."

"Well, ok."

The guests mingled for a while. Starfire was eagerly hugging everyone she didn't know. Gear and Cyborg got into a long, involved talk about technology. Shortly, there was another knock on the door. Standing outside this time was an old guy Richie didn't recognize. "So, this is y'all's pad, huh? Groovy vibe."

"Excuse me, who are you?"

"I'm Mr. Grant, from the retirement home. Virgil said I could come over."

"Oh, wait! You must be Soul Power!"

"That's me, alright."

"Good to meet you at last. I was out of town when you showed up, but I did a search and found some of your comics. I thought it was cool that we had a superhero legend here in town."

"I think that we have many more in the making, young man." He looked across the room. "Hey Robin! How's you're old man doing?"

But just as Mr. Grant came in, Gear Shock Box started to buzz. "Uh oh. That's the signal! Everybody, they're coming! Hide, quick!"

Most everybody hid behind stuff. Adam turned himself into a ball and dangled with the rest of the balloons. Beast Boy turned into a spider and started weaving a web in the window. Raven used her shadow powers to engulf her. Richie turned off the lights and hid himself.

They could hear Static and the Muse's voices on Gear's Shock Box. "Man, that was a good night of patrol, wasn't it?"

"I don't know. Not much happened. I still like flying around. Why wasn't Gear with us again?"

"I told you, he had something important he had to work on. He should be back at the gas station."

"Why are you going so slow, Static? We've been out all night. I'm thirsty."

"We're almost there, don't worry."

Then Gear saw them outside the window. He turned off his Shock Box and held his breath. It got really quiet and still.

"What are you doing?"

"Uh, just checking to see if our hideout's not been invaded."

"Nobody's discovered our hideout before."

"Well, there's always a first time."

"Come on. I'm ready for a break." The door opened. "Man, it's dark in here."

"Somebody call my name?" Static stepped in and pointed toward the nearest lightbulb. But instead of lighting it, his powers exploded into several mini-fireworks.

"Hey, what's going on?"

The lights went up, and everybody jumped out and yelled, "SURPRISE!"

"Huh?" The Muse looked up at the banner. "But my birthday's not until tomorrow!"

"We know, Muse," Gear said, "but we wanted you to celebrate with all of your superhero friends, and this was the best time we could get everybody together. Besides, tomorrow's Wednesday. We got Church."

"But we've never done this before."

"Well, this is the big one!"Static said. "You're the big 1-3! We had to celebrate."

"Well, alright! This is wonderful! Everybody's here! Hi RB! I miss reading to you."

"I miss it too, M. I use the skills you taught me every night on the road, though."

"Great. Hey Shebang! Long time no see. Starfire! I'm so glad to see you."

Starfire gave her a hug. "I couldn't miss this. You know, on Tamaran the thirteenth year makes one eligible for the oopligah."

"OK, cool. Raven! You came?"

"You're another year older, another day closer to your death. Congratulations."

"Uh, ok, thanks. Robin! Glad to finally meet you! I know we didn't really get a chance to talk last time. I really like your costume."

"Thanks. It's enforced with all the strongest materials in the world."

"Is that what makes it so colorful?"

"No, but it is what makes it so strong. It's colorful because it's based on the costume I wore in the circus."

"You used to work in the circus?"

"Yeah, I was an acrobat. That's how I learned all the tricks I use in the superhero business."

"Cool. Hey, you must be Beast Boy! You're a real life animagus!"

"Not quite," he answered. "Animagi can only turn into one animal. I can become any animal I want. In fact, what's your favorite animal?"

"Well, I guess if I had to choose, I'd have to say rabbits."

A look of dread crossed Beast Boy's face. "I don't like doing rabbits, but since it's your birthday . . ."

He shrunk down and became a little green bunny. "Oh, how cute!" The Muse bent down and petted gently, starting from his head and stroking backward to the middle of his back.

Beast Boy shortly turned back into his original form. "Dude, you know just how to do it. Whenever I turn into a rabbit for anybody else, they're always so rough. It's very uncomfortable."

"Well, I have a pet rabbit at home named Grint."

"Like Rupert Grint?"

"Yeah, he's Rabbit Grint! I guess you're a Harry Potter fan too?"

"Dude, Harry Potter is the best!"

"Hey Muse," Static said. "You wanna have cake and food first, or you wanna open presents?"

"I got presents?"

"Sure!" Cyborg said. "What kind of birthday party would this be without presents?"

"Well, let's open presents!" She sat down. Shebang handed her a postcard. "It's from Madelyn. 'Sorry I can't come to your party. I tried to break out, but it didn't work. My powers are rather restricted here. Maybe I'll succeed next time and we'll face off again. Until then, happy birthday!' Well, I'm glad to see she didn't forget about me. I kinda wish she reform a little more, but what are you gonna do?"

Next, she was handed a package. "Wow, it's from Ghana. Who do I know from Ghana? Oh, I know!" She opened it enthusiastically and pulled out a letter. She read aloud, "'Jambo! I hope you still like stories. I listen for new ones about you and your friends every day. I wish I could be there for your birthday, but Osebo has other plans. Here is something that you can share. It is centuries old and is rich in African history. Enjoy! Send my greetings to Static. Your rafiki, Anansi." The Muse reached in and pulled out a book with a red spider painted on the cover. "Spider Stories!" She opened it up. "Wow, it's written by hand! Look!" She lifted it up. "This is amazing!"

Next she was handed an envelope and a package. She opened the envelope and read, "'My real present will be late. You'll get it in the third week of August.' I think I know what that is. 'But I do have something to help your other career. Use it whenever you feel your team needs more backup. Warm wishes . . .' There's no signature, but I know who it's from." She held up the letter, and the bottom had a seal that looked like the Batsignal.

"There's something written at the bottom," Gear pointed out.

"Oh, 'P.S. Alfred has something for you too.'" She pulled out a square-like device. "What's this? "Batwave?'"

"It's like a portable Batsignal," Robin explained. "Batman used to use it to alert us of trouble."

"OK, cool. And let's see what Alfred brought." She pulled out a tin full of cookies. "Oh, Alfred, aren't you a sweetheart!"

Next she got a card signed by all the founding members of the Justice League. They also sent a t-shirt that had the letters "JL" on it. "They wouldn't do that for just anybody!" Static remarked.

Finally, she got to the presents from the people who were present. Raven got her the complete works of Edgar Allen Poe. Starfire placed on the Muse's head something called a Throknar, and she had a whole basketful of accessories and foods from her home planet, Tamaran. Beast Boy got her a book of jokes. Cyborg gave her an electronic gizmo that he made himself.

Then Robin stepped forward. "My gift is on behalf of all the Teen Titans. I didn't wrap it because I wanted to present it to you personally."

"OK," the Muse nodded.

Robin cleared his throat, "Muse, as you are entering your adolescent years, it is my duty and privilege to make you, for your service and friendship, an honorary Teen Titan!" He put into her hand a round communicator with a T, and it beeped a short tune. Everybody cheered.

"Thank you so much!" she said as she gave Robin a hug.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Static said. "Gear and my adolescent years are almost up! When are we joining?"

"No problem," Robin said. "I have one for each of you. Here, Static, Gear, Shebang, Rubberband Man--"

"Uh, I don't think I can take this. I'm already in my twenties."

"No sweat man," Cyborg said. "My twentieth birthday's coming up soon, and I have no intention of leaving."

"You don't have to be a teenager to be a Titan," Robin said. "It all depends on how young you feel inside."

"OK, cool," Adam said as he accepted the gift.

"How about you, Mr. Grant?" Robin offered.

"No thanks, kid. I'm retired."

"Well, alright, but if you ever change your mind."

"Now you guys really got to show me the tower," the Muse said.

"You got it," Robin answered. "And if you ever want to spend the night, we got a room just for you."

"Thanks."

Then she went back to the presents. Shebang got her a makeup kit ("You're gonna need it soon,"she explained.) Adam's gift was an untitled CD. "What's this?"

"Well M, when I was on the road, I wrote you a song. This is a demo. I wanted you to be the first to hear it."

"RB, you wrote a song about me? Wow, I feel so humbled. I'll listen to it as soon as I can."

"'Preciate it, M."

She picked up a narrow gift. Inside was a portrait. "Wow! It's a picture of Underdog! And . . . who's that beside him?"

"That's me, kid," Mr. Grant answered. "Well, that was me when I was about Sparky's age over there."

"You worked with Underdog?"

"Yeah. He was one hot pup, and dead clever. I still remember when he came to me for help and said, 'Electricity is needed to reach my goal, so I require the power of soul!' Together we took down the nefarious schemes of Simon Bar Sinister."

"So, where is he now?"

It went awful quiet. "Well, that was in the sixties. That was forty years ago. And, in dog years, that's . . . well, Methuselah age."

"But he's not just a dog. He's a superhero, and superheroes have an abnormally long life span, right? I mean, look at Superman! He should be over a hundred now!"

Mr. Grants face lit up. "You know, you're right. Now that I think of it, there's been a basset hound hanging around the retirement home. He likes to lie at my feet when I play dominoes with my friends there. He never said anything. Maybe that old, tired mind of his has run out of rhymes. Maybe he just wants to live the rest of his life in comfort with me."

"What about Sweet Polly Purebred? What happened to her?"

"I don't know. I really need to ask. Until then, if you want to hear about our adventure, I'd love to tell you everything."

"That would be cool." Then she reached for the biggest present on the table. "OK, Gear. I'm really excited about you're present." She ripped open the wrapping paper, and her jaw dropped. "Gear . . . this is your Game Station."

"Yep."

"And these games, Galaxy Sea, Galaxy Sea 2, The Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Ultimate Dream? Help guides? These are all the games that I like!"

"That's right."

"But . . . these are yours."

"Yeah, and I'm giving them to you. Don't worry; I've played them a million times. I'm not missing anything."

"Are you sure?"

"The Game Station 3 is coming out this Christmas. Maybe I'll get lucky. Besides, college is coming soon. I'll be too devoted to my studies to play games all day. You'll make better use of it."

"I don't know what to say."

"How about, thank you?"

"Oh yes, of course. Thanks so much, Gear."

Before she could reach for the last present, Static picked it up and walked up to her. "Muse, you've been a great friend. I've been amazed at how far you've come these past five years. I really couldn't think of anything I could give you that expressed my gratitude. Hope this will do. It's actually from Gear and me."

The Muse opened it up. "It's a photo album. Hey, it's us! This is when I first discovered my powers. Oh, and this is when I first tried out my wings. But I don't remember anybody taking pictures."

"These are actually stills from Backpack," Gear explained. "You know, we told you that he takes continuous video for our archives."

"This is great guys. I just hope Mommy never finds it."

"You know," Gear said, "it maybe about time you told her about it."

"But I can't! You know I can't! It's a secret!"

"If you want to work in Metropolis, she's might have to know," Static added.

"We'll worry about that later," Gear said. "For right now, let's dig into that cake!"

So they lit the candles and sang the birthday song. The Muse loved the cake, and everything she loved was there on the table: pepperoni pizza, cheese balls, candy, peanut butter chocolate oatmeal cookies, and Dr. Pepps. She even liked the tofu dogs.

Then she looked at her watch. "Oh no!" She grabbed Gear. "We gotta get back! It's already 8:30!"

"Muse, you're a teenager now. You don't have to go to bed so early. Besides, I told Mom all about this party, and she said we can stay out for as long as we want."

"OK, great."

Adam took his place. He turned on colored lights, strobe lights, smoke machines, the works! Then he turned up all the music real loud. Everybody started dancing. That was full of fun surprises. When a song instructed everybody to jump, Beast Boy turned into a kangaroo and bounced all over the place. "'The One in the Middle is the Green Kangaroo!'" Static laughed. "I remember that book." Then during a music break, Static surprised everybody. He got out to the front and did some crazy break dance moves. He acted like waves of energy was moving through him, and sometimes he added to the feel by making electrical sparks fly out of his hands.

"That was pretty groovy, man," Mr. Grant assessed.

"Thanks. I call that the E.C."

But the best moment by far was when a song called for "Rock Concert Movement #4: The Behind-the-Head-Leg-Stretch." Static got a look of disbelief, and he tried to do it. Then, Rubberband Man pushed him out of the way. "Step aside, amateur!" He picked up his right foot and put it behind his left ear with ease. Everybody applauded. "Now, watch this move. Ready, go!" Then with his leg still behind his ear, he jumped on his left foot while bobbing his head and clapping his hands. Everybody else jumped and clapped as well, until Adam fell over. Everybody had a big laugh.

"That was great!" the Muse said. She looked around at everybody laughing and partying. Then she noticed someone was missing. She walked up to Robin. "Where's Raven?"

"I think I saw her go outside after she finished eating."

The Muse sneaked out. "Raven?" she called. She looked all around the gas station, but she didn't see Raven. Then she heard her quiet voice. She finally found Raven meditating on the roof. The Muse flew up there. "Raven, there you are. Is everything ok?"

"I'm fine," Raven answered.

"Why aren't you down here with everybody else?"

"I don't mean to be rude, but parties just aren't my style."

"Well, as my friend Vir--I mean Static would say, 'I feel ya.' The crowd does kind of make me feel uncomfortable. Everybody's talking to everybody, and I don't feel like talking. At least they're all my friends, and we're having fun. I just want you to have fun with us."

"I'd rather not."

"Then would you like me to stay out here and talk with you?"

"No. This is your party. Go back down and enjoy yourself. After all, it's the last day of your childhood."

"What do you mean?"

"Tomorrow, you'll be 13. Everything's going to change soon. All the carefreeness that you're used to will just go away. You're going to question who you are and what's your place in the world. You're even going to start asking yourself why you're alive. Of course, if you'll let it, you'll come away stronger and more mature. You're going to grow up."

"I'm not ready for that yet."

"You don't have much of a choice. It's called being a teenager."

The Muse went back down because Raven wouldn't say any more, but she had a hard time enjoying herself. She was very disturbed. She and Gear finally went home around midnight. Static came along carrying most of her gifts with his static powers. She asked them both about it. "Is what Raven saying true?"

"Partly," Gear said. "There will be a lot of changes in a few years that you won't have any control over. But that doesn't mean you can't be a kid anymore. I mean, look at Virg and me! We're teens, and we still have fun!"

"And we're not too worried about the future," Virgil added. "Things are going to be ok."

"Thanks, guys. That does make me feel bet--" She stopped as they came up to their home. "Oh my goodness. That's Mommy's car in the driveway."

"I didn't hear Aunt Claire was coming," Richie said.

"Oh, you don't think she's here to take me away already, do you?"

"I don't know, but we better get changed. She might be waiting." So, they hid and quickly got into their street clothes. Then they walked into the house.

Claire ran to the door and flung her arms around her daughter. "Precious! My sweet, little girl! Oh, you looked so grown up, my little woman! I'm so proud of you!"

"Mommy, why are you here?" Precious said as she pulled out the hug.

"Well, I'm not going to miss my little girl's thirteenth birthday."

"Are you here to take me home already?"

"No, no, no, sweetie. I'm going to stay here for the next week. We're going to leave when it's time for us to go, OK?"

"OK."

"Good girl. Did you like your party?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Now, I can tell that you are tired. Why don't you go on up to bed? We'll talk in the morning."

"OK." Precious kissed her mother on the cheek. "Goodnight, Mommy."

"Goodnight, sweetheart." Claire watched her go up the stairs. Then she hugged her nephew. "Richie. Good to see you."

"Good to see you, Aunt Claire. This is quite a surprise."

Then she flung her arms around Virgil's neck. "Virgil! Virgil! You're so dear to her. You're a blessing."

"So is she, Miss F. Really."

She took a step back and looked at the boys. "Thank you both so much for taking care of her." She wiped away a tear.

"You ok, auntie?" Richie asked.

"Yes, I'm alright. I just can't believe how far she's come. Well, I guess you guys need to get some sleep as well. I won't keep you."

"'Night Miss F."

Yet as soon as she got out of earshot, Richie remarked, "OK, that's a little weird. There's something on her mind, I can tell."

"Oh Richie, Pops got all emotional when I turned 13. She's just a doting mother."

"I don't know. Something tells me there's something more. Maybe she figured us out. Maybe she knows her daughter's true identity."

"Pops thinks she already has. He told me so a long time ago."

"Then why hasn't she ever said anything?"

"Maybe she's cool with it."

"I don't know, bro."

TRANSITION

"So, what is this plan of yours?" Johnny anxiously asked Baby.

"Well, first let me bring you up to speed. A lot has happened in the four years you've been in jail. For one thing, the Bang Baby Syndrome has been cured. All the metahumans of Dakota are normal again, but you weren't around when the cure was pumped through the city. They forgot all about you!" She pinched his cheek as she said in her baby voice, "Don't you feel wucky?"

"You bet! No more Static!"

"Well," she said hesitantly, "actually, I guess I was wrong a moment ago. He somehow got around the cure, and he's still around."

"Oh, dang."

"And what's more, Dakota is crawling with superheroes. Remember Rubberband Man?"

"That frustrated musician who put Ice Pack on top of a tower?'

"Well, he's a good guy now. That's not the only member of Static's gang though. There's also a super-smart kid named Gear who has all sorts of techno gizmos. Shebang is a little firecracker with awesome strength. But the one everybody is gabbing about is the Muse. She's not like the others. She's only a little girl. She looks like a perfect angel, and her powers are amazing. She can do just about anything. She is the ticket to our return performance."

"Well, it all sounds interesting, but what is the plan?"

"As I recall, you once made a perfect clone of Static, with all of his powers?"

"That was a fluke! I don't know how I did it, and I was never able to duplicate it. Like I told you before, I wasn't given much opportunity to practice my skills. My power is probably very latent now."

"Well, I'll give you space to practice. Here's what we'll do. Some friends of mine will stage a bank robbery this afternoon. Static and all of his posse will take care of it. That's where we come in." She whispered the rest of the plan to him.

"It sounds brilliant. I just don't know if it's going to work."

"We'll make it work." She added once again in her baby voice, "I twust in you, big bwother."

Johnny laughed, "I like when you talk like that, Baby."

The next day, Baby and Replay put their plan into practice. They staged a big bank heist, and just as they predicted, Static, Gear, and the Muse were all there to bring it to an end. Replay and Baby hid in the crowd to study her moves. Then when it was over, Baby ran up to her. "Oh Muse, you're the bestest superhero evers! Can my big bwother take a picturwe of us?"

"OK," she answered. "I'm glad to have such a young fan."

Replay, disguised with a baseball cap and shades, snapped a Polaroid. Then he shook the Muse's hand. "It's great to finally meet you in person. My little sister practically idolizes you."

"Thanks. This really made my birthday."

"Oh, happy birthday! How old are you?"

"13."

Replay frowned. He said coldly, "Well I hope you appreciated your childhood. It's all downhill from here. All your cuteness and popularity are going to dwindle because everything's going to change."

"Big bwother, don't say such mean things on her birfday!"

"Oh, sorry. We better go."

"Happy birfday, Muse!" Baby called as they were leaving. As soon as they were hidden, she said sternly to Replay, "What was that all about?"

"Hey, I'm bitter about my adolescent years. You can't blame me. You've been there before yourself."

"But you were giving away our plan!"

"I don't think I was. I wasn't saying anything that wasn't true."

"Yeah, but next time you watch your tongue. Anymore lip, and you can kiss your dreams of stardom goodbye."

"Whatever. Let's just get to practicing."

TRANSITION

That evening, Precious had another birthday party, which she was prepared for this time. It was her family's party. The Hawkins family came too. Yet somehow, Precious didn't feel like celebrating.

"That complete stranger said the same thing Raven said," she told Richie and Virgil afterwards. "I don't want things to change! I'm happy the way they are!"

"It's not going to be so bad," Virgil said. "You're just growing up."

"But I'm still a kid! I don't want to grow up yet."

"Well, it's like we said, you don't have to end your childhood."

"But what about all the things they said?"

"Don't worry about it," Richie said. "If you worry about life, it'll only get worse."

"Wait until things happen," Virgil offered. "When they do, you can talk to us. We've been there before, remember?"

"OK. I'll talk to you when things change, and you'll help me?"

"That's what we're here for."

But things got out of hand before anybody realized. Richie first knew something was going to happen a few days later. He was going down for a cup of coffee when he heard his dad's voice from the den.

"You know what you're going to say, Claire?"

"Yeah. I practiced last night over and over. It's still not going to be easy. I'm so glad you were able to get the day off, Sean. I don't know how I'm going to do this. You ok?"

"Yeah, I know what I'm going to say. You, Maggie?"

"I think so. Claire, are you sure you want to do this now? I mean, she just had a happy birthday."

"I am sure Maggie. It's because she's 13 that we're doing this. She's maturing. It's time for us to put away childish games and stop pretending. It's time that we were honest with each other."

"Hold on," Mr. Foley said. "RICHIE! ARE YOU EAVESDROPPING?"

"Sorry, Dad. I'll leave now."

"No, honey, let's let him in on this," Mrs. Foley said meekly.

"No. We had a serious talk with Richie about listening in on our conversations," Mr. Foley answered angrily.

"Claire, what do you want to do?"

She looked out the door. "I'm sorry, Richie. This is kinda a deep talk."

"I got ya. I'll leave you alone."

The more Richie thought about it, the more he was worried. No more childish games? Stop pretending? Has she found out Precious' secret and told his parents?

A few hours later, Precious got up, had some cereal, and began playing Galaxy Sea (for about the fifth time). Claire came into the room. "Honey, have you eaten breakfast yet?"

"Yes."

"Have you done your chores?"

"Not all of them yet."

"I need you to finish your chores. Then I want you to come down to your aunt and uncle's room. We need to talk."

Precious stopped playing, and a look of fear crossed her face. Usually when her mother said that they needed to talk, she was in trouble. "Uh oh."

"Not 'uh oh,' 'ok.'"

"OK," she answered with some uncertainty. Claire left. "What do you think she means?"

"I don't know. I heard them talking about it, but I couldn't tell what they were discussing."

"Do you think she knows who I am?"

"I don't know. It could be very possible. If that's the case, please tell me. I'll vouch for you if I have to."

"OK."

She saved her game and left. It was very quiet. She was gone for about an hour and a half, and the more Richie thought about what he had heard, the more he was worried. Then, she came back into the room. Her eyes were full of shock; her checks were wet with fresh tears.

"Precious? Are you ok? What did they say? What is it?" Richie asked urgently.

"I want to talk to everybody," she replied in a soft voice.

"Everybody? What do you mean 'everybody?'"

"Static, Rubberband Man, Shebang, Gear, everybody. We got to meet at the gas station as soon as we can."

"OK, I'll call Static."

Precious meanwhile pulled out her Titans communicator. She pressed a button, and it flipped open. "This is Robin of the Teen Titans. How can we help?"

"Uh, Robin, this is the Muse. I just learned something, and . . . I need to talk to everybody."

"Alright, uh, you know I gave you this communicator for emergencies, not just to talk."

"This feels like an emergency to me."

"Robin, let me go," a voice said behind him.

Robin turned around. "Raven?"

"I can sense what is on her mind from here. I think I can tell her some things that will help her."

"Well, alright." He turned back. "Raven's coming as a representative from us. The rest of us have a Johnny Rancid problem, so we got our hands tied."

"OK. Maybe Raven will help a lot. Thanks." She turned off the communicator then donned her disguise. She flew with Gear to the gas station.

TRANSITION

Replay had been practicing for days. He looked closely at the picture and remembered the touch of the Muse's hand when they had touched. Yet he still wasn't sure how he could do what Baby asked.

Then in the morning, he looked hard at the picture. His mind was filled with a new confidence that he did not have for a long time. "I think I can do it! I can feel it!"

"Give it a try, Johnny!" Baby said encouragingly.

Replay's eyes and hands glowed purple. He pointed at Baby, and purple waves flew from his hands. Seconds later, an exact duplicate of the Muse appeared in her place. "I did it!"

"Not bad," Baby said in the Muse's voice. "I'm liking this. So, we ready to get this show on the road?"

"Let's do it!" Johnny said. The fake Muse flew out. She was going a bit too fast for Johnny to keep up, but he tried.

TRANSITION

Static came into the gas station first. The Muse was sitting in a chair, her head bowed and straight black hair shrouding her face. "Wassup, girl?" Static greeted cheerily. She wouldn't answer. "You ok? Can you give me a smile?" She shook her head. "Won't you at least look at me?" She shook her head.

"Allow me, Static." It was Adam. He sat down in front of her and put his foot behind his ear. "Look, Muse. I'm doing Rock Concert Movement #4!" She didn't look up. He put his foot down. "I really ought to go touring with Blue Man Group when I'm done opening for Usher. They really get a kick out of that. Maybe I can even join 'em." His rubber suit turned blue and covered his face like a mask and his hands like gloves. "Look at me! I'm a Blue Man!"

"I don't think you're supposed to talk," Gear said.

"Yeah, I'll work on that."

The Muse looked up for a moment and smiled for a second. Before they could notice, she bowed her head again and moaned. Shebang showed up next. She didn't comment on the Muse's demeanor. Instead, she complained as her patience wore thin.

"What are we waiting for?"

"Raven, I think," Gear said.

"Doesn't she have to come all the way from Gotham?"

"Or somewhere thereabouts," Static said.

Raven did fly in. She did not say a word of greeting. She only sat down cross-legged and levitated to the Muse's eye level.

"OK, we're all here," Gear said. "Now, what do you need to say?"

The Muse looked up. "This morning I had a talk with my uncle, my aunt, and my mother."

Gear knew this was trouble. Precious never called Claire anything than "Mommy."

"They said something was wrong with me." The Muse stared to cry. "They said . . . they said . . . they said my brain is sick, and it's not going to get better!"

Gear slapped his helmet in epiphany. "Oh, so that's what this is about! They told you about your autism!"

"What?" Shebang yelled.

"Now?" Adam asked.

"Richie!" Static growled with gritted teeth.

Raven stayed silent, but interest flashed across her face.

The Muse looked at Gear in shock. "YOU KNEW?"

"Of course I knew! I'm family," he answered. "I was told when I was about your age."

"Did you know, Static?"

"Yeah, I knew. Gear told me."

"Adam?"

"Static told me, just because I also have a mental difficulty."

"If it gives you any solace," Shebang said, "I had no idea. They never tell me anything. It never occurred to me that there was anything wr–I mean, out of the ordinary–I mean . . ."

"Raven?" the Muse asked.

"I knew something was different about you. Remember, I looked into your mind."

"Oh yeah. Well, why didn't anybody tell me?"

"'Cause frankly, I thought you knew!" Static answered. "Remember when we first met? You didn't even talk! Didn't you ever think that was strange, that everybody else talked and you didn't?"

"I don't know."

"So it never occurred to you that you were different?"

"I don't think so. But still, why didn't you say anything? You could have at least mentioned–"

"I'm not one to dwell on differences. I wasn't raised that way."

"I just can't believe that everybody kept something from me."

"Well, you weren't ready to hear it!" Gear said. "You wouldn't understand."

"That's what they said, but still. I trusted you."

"Don't think of it this way, Muse. Please. We were also trying to keep it a secret from your enemies."

"I can keep a secret! I never told Mom about my secret." She pointed at Shebang, Raven, and Adam. "I never told you my true identity, have I?"

"Well, no," Shebang shrugged.

"It didn't mean we didn't trust you," Gear said.

"But this something important to me! I would have liked to have known." She sighed.

"So, all you wanted to do is gripe that we didn't tell you about this?"

"No. What I was going to say is," she sighed, "I don't think I can be a superhero anymore."

"What!" everyone said at once.

"Why not?" Gear asked.

"They told me all of my weaknesses. I have trouble with coordination, strength, agility, balance, and no amount of training is ever going to change it. Those are all the things superheroes need!"

"And you have gotten around those problems easily in the past," Static answered. "You don't always need skills like that. Remember, when Gear and I started out, we weren't all that buff either. As long as you got the power."

"But who's ever heard of a handicapped superhero?"

"Muse, everyone is handicapped in some capacity," Raven said. "There's no such thing as 'normal.'"

"She's right," Static said. "We all got stuff we got to deal with."

"Well, not exactly," Shebang spoke up. "I was genetically engineered to have no flaws, physically or mentally."

"I didn't know that," the Muse said.

"Yeah. But let me tell you, perfect is not all that it's cracked up to be. I've always had a feeling the back of my mind that I'm a freak. And my family has had to run just because I was flawless. I was never proud of my strength, until I became a superhero."

"Hey, there's an idea," Static commented. "Think about this, Muse. None of us are normal. We're superheroes. That's what 'super' means. It means more than normal. It means better than normal. And you're the most super of them all."

Again, he was trying to make her smile, but it just wasn't working. Just then, an alert went off. Gear checked it. "It's another bank robbery. Let's go."

Everybody got up to go, but the Muse stayed in her chair. "You coming?" Static asked.

"No," she answered. "I want to think a little more."

"Please Muse, don't quit. We need you. The world needs you."

Raven looked back. "I'll stay with her."

"You sure? OK. I'll see you later, Muse."

When everybody was gone, Raven sat down in front of the Muse. "Oh Raven, it's just like you said. Everything's changing. I'm not ready for things to change! I don't want change! I like things the way they were."

"Technically, this isn't a change. You've always had this problem."

"But I didn't know about it!"

"Well, you know what they say, 'Knowing is half the battle.'"

"What's the other half?"

"Doing something about it."

"But what can I do? And don't say 'meditate,' because I tried that and my brain just won't stay put."

"You put your weakness to good use before. You just didn't realize it. I have an idea about something that might make you feel better about all this. I'll help you find it, but you must look into your own mind in all of its chaos. Are you prepared to do that?"

"OK, I'll try."

Raven came in closer. She touched the Muse's temples and looked into her eyes. The Muse remembered this feeling. She had to fight turning away and losing eye contact with Raven. "Just look at me. That's it. Relax. Azerath, Metrion, Zinthos."

TRANSITION

"What!" Static yelled when they got to the scene.

The "criminal" they saw when they came into the bank was the Muse.

"No way this can be real," Adam said.

"Well, we got ways to prove it," Gear said. "Come on."

Static approached her. "Listen Muse, if you don't come quietly we'll have to incarcerate you. You know what that means, don't you?"

"I don't care!" she yelled, and she punched Static in the stomach. She hardly talked. She successfully dodged all of their attacks with flips, cartwheels, and somersaults. She used her power mostly like she would a gun. It wasn't the Muse's style at all. Perhaps the most telling sign was when Rubberband Man hit the fire alarm. The Muse's head was right in front of it, but she didn't even flinch.

"Look, why don't you just drop the act?" Static suggested. "We know you're an impostor."

"Prove it!" the false Muse snapped. She used her powers to create a flash, and she disappeared.

"Shebang, Rubberband Man, find her," Static ordered. "Gear and I got to bring the real Muse back to her senses."

TRANSITION

"Man, this isn't Precious' day," Mr. Foley muttered.

Claire over heard and stepped in the den. "What do you mean?"

He pointed to the TV. A "Breaking News" special report was showing the whole tragic event as it unfolded. "First we tell her about her autism. Now, her favorite superhero's gone amuck. She's not going to take this well."

Claire got in closer. "I don't believe this. She must be upset. Poor girl. I wish I could talk to her."

TRANSITION

The Titans were watching the moment on their TV. Raven flew in. "Raven, why didn't you stop her?" Robin asked.

"What?"

Everyone pointed to the screen. "I cannot believe this. Our friend is not a criminal," Starfire lamented.

"That's not our friend," Raven answered. "She was with me the whole time . . . and there's something I need to tell you."

"Let's wait until we see how this unfolds," Robin suggested.

TRANSITION

All the former metahumans in jail cheered when they heard the news. The person who put them in jail had finally crossed over to their side.

Others, like Robert Hawkins and the Justice League, watched the TV not knowing what to think.

Only Batman watched the evidence and said aloud, "Something about this isn't right."

TRANSITION

Static and Gear found the Muse alone in the gas station. She was flipping through their photo album.

"Where's Raven?" Gear asked.

"She went home," the Muse answered.

"Man, this has happened so many times it's not even funny. Let's see, it's happened to: me (more than once), Richie, Rubberband Man, AJ, almost the whole Justice League, and Green Lantern. Man, when are the villains going to be original!"

"What do you mean?" the Muse asked.

"When good guys go bad," Gear answered. "We were just chasing an impostor posing as you."

"Yeah," Static said. "You know, Muse, this is another reason why you shouldn't quit. We're going to catch that impostor and throw her in jail. The Muse will go down in infamy. Everybody will think you were the best superhero on earth, and then you just threw everything away to be caught by your best friends. Is that what you want?"

"Sorry, Static, my mind is made up," the Muse answered.

Static shook his head in disbelief.

But then the Muse stood and looked into his eyes. "I'm not quitting."

"All right, girl!" He gave her a big hug.

"What made you change your mind?" Gear asked.

"Well, Raven showed me some things. Some of it was not good. I had to relive some really scary memories. But then I came to an understanding of myself. I had forgotten how much being a superhero has done to me. It's because of you guys that I realized the power within myself, and now I understand more of its full potential. I can't give up now."

"Excellent," Static remarked. "Now, we have the evidence to clear your name, but you'll have to come with us."

"OK, I will."

"You're not afraid?" Gear asked.

"Give me one reason why I should be afraid."

"Well, we're probably going to have to divulge your disability to clear your name. Is that ok?"

"I'm . . . ready for that."

"How many people do you want to know?" Static said. "'Cause if you want to keep this private, we'll only tell a few police officers. But it would be even better if we make it public."

Precious paused for a long time. "Ok," she said softly.

They nodded. Gear got on his cell phone. "This is Gear. Static and I want to hold a press conference at the police station about the Muse situation."

Right away, they started flying to the police station. "Here Muse, borrow this." He gave her his shades. She put them on. Then he created a ball of light around her. "You'll want to be concealed. Everybody will hate you if they see you flying with us. Trust me, I know."

The police station had a podium set up on its steps. All of the reporters that constantly crowded the three superheroes were there. Cameras flashed everywhere.

Static took the podium first. "Ladies and gentlemen, the young lady standing next to me is not the perpetrator earlier. Rubberband Man and Shebang are in the process of trying to find the real culprit. We have evidence to prove this young woman's innocence, if you will allow us."

"Backpack," Gear ordered, "please show video 80493 at roughly 2:00 p.m."

Backpack scuttled off of Gear's back and popped up a monitor. It showed the video starting from where the guys flying out to meet the false Muse. "Listen Muse, if you don't come quietly we'll have to incarcerate you. You know what that means, don't you?"

"I don't care!"

"Freeze!" Gear said. "Now, this isn't like our Muse at all. She can't resisting spelling out long words like that."

"Muse, incarcerate!" Static said.

"I-N-C-A-R-C-E-R-A-T-E, to imprison, to confine. Hey, I like that word."

"Go," Gear said. As it continued to play, Gear commented, "Now, this isn't like our Muse at all. She lacks the motor skills and coordination to pull off stunts like this."

"But watch this." They showed the alarm going off. The real Muse cowered and held her ears. "Our Muse is terrified of loud noises. Most of her toughest adversaries know this."

"How can you be certain of all this?" one reporter asked. "Maybe she was hiding her true nature!"

"Well," Gear said, "actually we are sure of this because . . . well, we were just talking about this. You see, uh . . ."

Virgil stuttered, "The Muse is like this because she's . . . she's . . ."

"I'm autistic."

Static and Gear both looked back at the Muse in surprise. There was a great amount of commotion among the reporters. Several reporters asked her at once what she meant. The Muse took the podium. She wasn't sure what to say first.

Then Shelly Sandoval ran up to the front. "Hi Miss Sandoval," the Muse said.

"Hi Muse. I always thought that there was something like that about you. Could you please tell me what that is like? I have a nephew with autism."

"Well, it's like you're a human alien. I may never fully understand this place called Earth."

"I am concerned about my nephew. He has never made any attempt to communicate with us. Were you like that?"

"Yes, I was."

"What made you change your mind?"

"Well, when I was young, I was wrapped up in my own world. I didn't like the real one. In my world, I had complete control. I had no control in reality. I think I wanted to ignore reality. But then, these two people were introduced into my life. They showed me the possibility that I may have power within me. Somehow, they introduced the real world into my world. They made it part of my world. And when they did that, they gave me control over reality."

Static and Gear were both astonished. All of the reporters were silent. There was an occasional cough, but for the most part no one could say a word.

"I nearly quit today," the Muse added, "but then I realized that although there are several things I can't do, there are also many more things that I can do."

Just then, Backpack started beeping. "That's Rubberband Man's signal," Gear said. "They've found the culprit."

"We gotta go, folks," Static said. "Thanks for listening." They took off.

TRANSITION

Everybody who was watching earlier watched the press conference. In the jail, all the cheers became groans. "We were bamboozled by a mental case?" Shiv said aloud.

The Titans were still shocked. "What does this 'autistic' mean?" Starfire asked. Raven then shared with everyone what she had learned.

Robert Hawkins jumped out of his seat. "I'm taking a late lunch break," he told one of his coworkers. He drove straight for the Foleys' house.

Batman also reached for his phone.

Mr. Foley said to himself, "I never noticed that before. I need a drink."

Claire cried.

TRANSITION

"You're doing great, Baby," Replay whispered, "but when do I get my part?"

"You are doing your part," she answered. "You're watching over the money, like we agreed."

"Yeah, but when do I get recognition for it? What about the fame?"

She didn't answer. A voice said into her ear, "Baby, end this charade now."

"Why? Everything's going great," she whispered.

"They're onto you now."

"Well, I don't care. I'm still going to have another moment in the sun and get more profit."

"I have no use for you any longer."

"I have a use for me, so there."

"There she is!" someone yelled. It was Rubberband Man.

"Alright, Reply, show time." The false Muse flew off.

"Yeah right, show time for her," Replay muttered. "And what was with that whole conversation with herself?"

"Want more?" Baby taunted.

"No," Rubberband Man said. "I just wondered what you thought of my song."

"Song?"

"You know, that I wrote for you . . . for your birthday."

"Oh yeah, that! It stunk! You call yourself a musician? I always thought your music was cheesy, like a Stevie Wonder tribute."

"What? Why? You know my influence is hip hop and rap. In fact, this was my first experience with R & B."

"Oh. Well . . . take this!" She fired a big ball of light at Rubberband Man, but he bounced out of the way.

"Your cover's blown, girlfriend," Static's voice yelled. "Look who's here!" The Muse flew up behind him.

"Really?" She closed her eyes then transformed to the exact likeness of the real Muse. "Well, let's see about that." She leapt on the Muse, and they started wrestling. The real Muse couldn't concentrate to make her powers. Everything was so sudden.

"Static, won't you stop it?" Shebang yelled.

"But I might hurt the real girl! I'm starting to find it hard to tell them apart."

Meanwhile, the voice in the false Muse's ear demanded, "STOP NOW! I ORDER YOU!"

"No!" she answered. "I can finish her off if I want!"

They were rolling down into a ditch. The real Muse wanted to get back up. Then she found a way that could make them tell her apart. "Hey RB! RCM 4!"

Rubberband Man peered down the edge. "What?" he yelled.

"RCM 4!"

"See 'em for what?"

"ROCK CONCERT MOVEMENT FOUR!"

"Oh, no problem." He stretched his right foot behind his head and all the way down to the heroes. The real Muse grabbed a hold, and he pulled her up.

"Who knew Blue Man Group would save my life one day?" she giggled.

The false Muse sat up and started to take off, but she suddenly stopped. Tiny bolts of lightning surrounded her, and she transformed into a small person.

"I know you!" the Muse said. "You were the little girl who asked for my picture the other day."

Baby scoffed. "Little girl. I'm way before YOUR time, little girl."

"I don't understand."

"I know her," Gear said. "She has a rare condition. Her body doesn't age. She never grows up."

The Muse looked at Baby with intrigue. "Me neither," she whispered.

"Good job, Static," Shebang said.

"That . . . wasn't me," Static replied.

"Oh, that tears it," a voice yelled. Soon everybody was surrounded with a bunch of red-haired teenagers.

"Replay!" Static yelled. "Didn't think I'd see your ugly mug anytime soon."

"That's right! I'm going to take you out for what you did to me."

"We all are!" all of the clones said at once.

"I don't think so!" the real Muse said. "MAGIC!" In a brilliant beam of light, she eliminated all of the clones and left Replayed on his back.

"That's our Muse!" Static said as he patted her on the shoulder.

"Let's go home," she said to Gear.

TRANSITION

As soon as Precious got in the door, Uncle Sean called, "PRECIOUS! CAN YOU COME IN HERE FOR A MOMENT?"

"I don't like the sound of that," she muttered to Richie. She walked up to her uncle's bedroom. He was sitting on the bed with a hard expression on his face. He didn't say a word but turned on the news.

As Precious had guessed, it was a story about the Muse's revelation. "I have to say," Shelly Sandoval said, "this has been the most amazing story in all of my years of journalism. The Muse is an inspiration to us all." She paused and wiped a tear. "Back to you," she whispered.

Uncle Sean turned off the TV and looked at her again. "So," he said.

"Uh, yes Uncle Sean?"

But then he broke into a smile. "You see now, Precious? You're favorite superhero is just like you."

"Yeah, she is isn't she?"

"You don't have to feel down about what we discussed this morning. There's hope for you." He stroked her head. "You're a good kid, my favorite niece."

"I'm your only niece."

"That makes the competition easier," he laughed.

"Is that all you wanted to say?"

"Yeah."

"OK. I'm going to Richie's room now." She got out as soon as she could, so relieved that he didn't find out her secret identity. She sprawled out on Richie's bed.

Richie came in a few moments later. "You ok?"

"Yeah, I'm just thinking."

"You know, what you did today took a lot of courage. You didn't have to do that."

"Yeah I did. It was the only way to expose the imposter."

"But we were going to do it."

"You hesitated. Besides, after Raven and I talked, I did feel better about it, almost a little . . . proud of it."

"Good. You know, I never told anybody, Virgil included, because I never got officially diagnosed, but sometimes I wonder if I'm a little autistic."

"No!"

"Yeah. I don't know for sure. A lot of people think that autism is genetic, and since I'm related to you I might have the same gene. It was probably latent most of my life, but after the Big Bang stuff kicked in, it might have activated it. I've done a lot of studying about it, and our brains function very similarly."

"But you're so social."

"I know. That's one of the reasons I'm not sure. Part of me worries that I might become worse. I don't want that to happen. I want to stay friends with Virgil and Frieda and Daisy and you and everybody. You know that's why I invented that Magic Hat."

"My hat?"

"Yeah, didn't they tell you this morning? I made that hat to change what's going on in your brain. It's gradually getting you out of your world. It's not like they said. You are getting better."

"So, this hat does more than give me magic powers?"

"That's right."

"So, there's no magic inside of me after all."

"No, that's not true. None of what you do would be possible without your imagination. That's your power. And you want to use it. That's what keeps it going."

"I always wondered why Mommy didn't want me to ever take it off."

"So, let me get straight what you were saying earlier. The magic made reality part of your imaginary world? And that's why you can do things?"

"Yeah. I have control."

"I would have never guessed that was the deal. That's incredible." Suddenly, he got up and left the room.

It was very quiet. Precious kept thinking, but soon she got bored. Starfire and Batman both called her on her new communicators to offer a few words of encouragement. Soon, she got tired of talking or thinking about her autism. Then she found Adam's CD. She popped it in. Soft, synthesized music came on, then Adam's voice started singing. It was a standard love song, about a guy who lived the wrong kind of life and then a beautiful girl showed him something better. But what struck Precious the most was the title, "Precious 2 Me." She didn't think that she ever told Adam her real name, so he didn't realize the double meaning. It was amazingly clever. "That's the most beautiful thing I've ever heard," she said aloud. "I bet it'll be a number one." Then there was a knock on the door. "Come in."

Claire walked in. "Hi Honey."

"Oh, hi Mom."

"Am I not 'Mommy' anymore?"

"Mom, I'm thirteen. I need to sound more mature."

Claire sat down on the bed. "Look, Sweetheart, I don't think I told you this morning how proud I am of you. I mean, when you were little, the doctors told me I should expect to put you in a mental institution before you were 18. They said you'd never respond to me or to anybody. But now look at you. You are a loving, caring, selfless person with personality and creativity, and . . . you're a superhero."

Precious gasped. "Uh . . . um . . . what makes you say that, Mom?"

"Honey, I was watching the news this afternoon and . . ."

"Oh!" Precious groaned. She knew she wasn't going to be able to hide it, and she wasn't going to lie. "I-I-I shouldn't have said anything! I shouldn't have told! I knew I shouldn't have told!"

"Honey, it's ok. It's ok. I knew the whole time."

Precious turned around and gaped at her mother. "You did?"

"Yeah. Ever since I met Virgil the first time. I knew his kind of hair style is difficult to duplicate, and Static's was identical. And there were a bunch of little things only a mother would notice."

"Like what?"

"Like the Muse only appearing when you were having your vacation in Dakota."

"Did I ever give it away?"

"No, no, I figured it out on my own, don't worry. And you and your friends did a good job of hiding it. Sometimes I was even in denial."

"Oh. So, why didn't you say anything?"

"Because that's my role in this game. I'm supposed to be the quiet, dumb bystander. I wasn't supposed to say anything. I had to protect your identity, and I didn't do such a bad job, did I?"

"Yeah, you were great. So, you're ok with it?"

"Well, at first I thought it was rather foolish. Do you remember when Richie was shot?"

"Richie was shot! When?"

"I think it was about when you were 5 or 6. Someone brought a gun to his school and shot Richie in the leg. Don't you remember? We drove that night to the hospital to see him."

"And his leg was big and covered in paper, and he wanted me to write on it with a marker. I remember that. But I don't remember that he was shot. He never told me he was shot."

"Well he was. So sometimes I worry that you might get hurt. Then I remember how far you've come. You understand so much about the world that you wouldn't have learned any other way. You have become so much stronger because of what the guys have done with you. And I came to understand that they know what they're doing."

Somebody cleared his throat behind them. Richie was standing in the doorway. "Sorry, I was eavesdropping again."

"It's ok, Richie. I was hoping you'd hear," Claire answered.

"So, uh, you know?"

"Yeah, I know."

"Good. That will make this easier. I was just talking with Virgil. We want to show you something. Can you two take a walk?"

"Alright," they said at once.

They came downstairs. "Mom," Richie said as he came down, "Aunt Claire, Precious and I are going for a walk. We should be back in time for dinner."

"Oh, I was just thinking about ordering a pizza," she answered. "Can I come with you?"

"Uh, well, this is kind of an . . . aunt-nephew-cousin kind of thing."

"Yeah, it's personal, Maggie," Aunt Claire said.

"Well, ok."

They walked quietly, until Claire asked, "So, where are we going?"

"Well . . . you remember that gas station where we used to hang out? That was a little bit more than just a hangout."

"Oh I see."

Virgil was waiting for them. He was in his Static costume. "Hey," he greeted.

"Hello Static," she answered.

Richie went into the back and changed into his costume. "Should I–?" Precious began to say.

"Not yet," Static told her.

Gear came back in and sat down. "So, what are we waiting for?" Precious asked.

There was a knock on the door. "That," Static said. He opened the door, and there was Adam.

"Hey. Is something wrong again?"

"No, not this time."

"Hey Static," Shebang said as she came in. "Hey, who's that?"

"This is my mom," Precious answered.

"Yeah, and my aunt," Gear said.

"I'm Claire Llewellyn-Foley." She approached Adam. "You look familiar. Have we met before?"

"I'm Adam Evans."

"The hip-hop star? I saw you on the Today show! You're a superhero too? Matt Lauer never mentioned that."

"He's also my reading buddy," Precious said.

"Oh, so this is your reading buddy! Glad to meet you."

"Likewise. Your daughter is amazing. She showed me a wonderful place I . . . well, just listen to the song I gave her."

"You wrote her a song?"

"Yeah, wait until you hear it, Mommy! It's beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you," Adam said tenderly. Then he looked up at Claire. "Hey, did you say your name was Foley?"

"Yes."

"I know a kid named Foley. Think you might be related?"

"Maybe," Gear said as he took off his mask.

"Richie!" Adam yelled. "Does that mean you're–?"

Static took off his mask. "That's right, Virgil Hawkins."

"Sharon's little brother? Man, I said mean things about Static right in front of you. I'm sorry."

"No prob. Some times I say mean things about Static right in front of me too."

"Wait a minute," Shebang said, "This is a complete stranger. Why are you all just displaying your identities like this?"

"We have a reason. Why don't you show her who you are?"

"Alright." Shebang took off her mask. "Shenice Richards."

"Pleased to meet you," Claire said.

"And Muse, what's you're name?" Static asked.

"Should I say?"

"We're all getting to know each other tonight," Gear said. "Go on."

"I'm Precious Swan Llewellyn."

"Oh, what a pretty name," Shenice said.

"Your real name is Precious?" Adam asked. "Man, I must be a mind reader."

"See, Miss F.," Virgil said, "we're like one big family. All of us are like brothers and sisters. Precious is one of the biggest factors that brought us together. And now that you know, we want you to be part of this family from now on."

Precious gasped. "Really?"

"Well, I'm flattered," Claire answered. "I don't know what I can do. I'm no superhero myself."

"We'll explain," Richie answered. He got up and left the room.

"You see, your daughter has grown immensely since she started working with us these past five years," Virgil explained. "She has done so much. We think it's about time to make her dream come true."

Richie came back in with the Muse's costume and Magic Hat 2 in his arms. He put them in Precious' lap.

"They're yours now," he said.

"What?" Precious asked.

"You don't need us anymore," Virgil said. "You can be a superhero on your own now, just like you wanted to be." Shenice and Adam applauded.

"Really?" she asked eagerly.

"Yeah."

"But Aunt Claire," Richie said, "It's going to be up to you to be her sidekick in the shadows."

"OK, what does that all mean?"

"You know, look out for crimes, give her support, help her make excuses if she has to be somewhere else when there's trouble, and sometimes help her when she gets into a jam."

"Wow, I'm a mother, hair stylist, teacher, and superhero sidekick. It sounds crazy, but I think I can do it. It would be good to have a superhero in Metropolis again. She might even give Superman a run for his money."

Precious gave her a hug. "Thanks, Mommy." Then she looked up at her friends. "It's going to be so hard to say goodbye." She reached for Shenice first. "You've always been a cool friend. I felt safe when you were around. You're so strong. I never really got to know you, but I really like you."

"Yeah, I like you too."

She went and hugged Adam. "I guess I'll see you on the road."

"Whenever I come through Metropolis, I'll make sure to give you a VIP pass backstage. Maybe we can conversate before the show starts."

"That would be nice."

"Well, I gotta get home," Shenice said.

"Yeah, and I need to get to the studio. It's time to start recording my next album."

"'Bye Shenice. 'Bye M."

Adam looked back in surprise. "Bye RB," he answered.

"Uh, Richie, why don't you give me some pointers for this sidekick thing?" Claire asked.

"Right-oh. I'll let you borrow some of my equipment." They went into the other room. Virgil and Precious were left alone.

"So," Precious said, "does this mean we're never going to work together again?"

"No way!" Static answered. "I mean, you're still Richie's cousin. So you're still going to visit. And when you visit, you'll have to work with us. And you'll still call us on your Shock Box every day, right?"

"Yeah."

Virgil came closer to her and leaned over her chair. "I hope you understand what we're saying when we're doing this. You are an excellent superhero. You believe that, don't you?"

"Yeah."

"Say it."

"I'm an excellent superhero."

"That's right. And listen to me. I like having you as my superhero partner."

"Yeah." She leaned her head forward, so that their heads were touching.

"I like having you as a superhero partner," Virgil repeated in a whisper. He stroked her hair then looked away.

"Virgil?" Precious asked.

"Yeah?"

"What does 'Virgil' mean?"

"It means 'strong.'"

"V-I-R-G-I-L, strong. I like that. It's a very appropriate name."

"Thanks. Yours too."

TRANSITION

Somewhere to the north, and armored truck was taking Replay and Baby up to an upper-state prison. "Why did you do that?" Replay screamed at her. "Why did you change back in the middle of our fight? We were about to win!"

"I didn't–"

"Don't use that stupid line on me! I know it's just an act."

"But it wasn't my fault." She sighed. "Fine. I was working for somebody else. I was changed me back against my will."

"What!"

"I've tried being a child star, then I turned to crime, then I became a mercenary. Everything failed."

"So, who hired you?"

"I'm not going to divulge that! It's against the mercenary code. Just somebody who promised me the same things I promised you. That's all I'm going to say."

Johnny sighed. "Well, I guess we might as well enjoy our way there. Why don't we think about our past careers? We'll talk about each other's favorite episodes. You first."

"I haven't watched your show in my life."

"What?"

"You think I'd waste my time digging up the past for someone who lived two hours away from me? There are hundreds of frustrated child stars. What makes you think that you're any different?"

Johnny didn't have an answer, so he was quiet for the rest of the way.

TRANSITION

Someone in an unknown place was watching a tape of the press conference closely.

"The Muse is like this because she's . . . she's . . ."

"I'm autistic."

Fast-forward.

"Somehow, they introduced the real world into my world. They made it part of my world. And when they did that, they gave me control over reality."

"Intriguing indeed," the watcher said. "It is much more intriguing than I had thought. Muse, I must thank you personally. Thank you for taking off the mask. But now . . . where will you hide?"

A small ray of light streaked over the single eye in his mask as it glared with purpose.

Next Episode: Betrayal–Everyone Precious ever trusted has turned against her. There is only one person who remembers and seems to care for the Muse, and he has other plans for her. Will she be taken in by his lies?


	14. Betrayal

Episode 13: Betrayal

Note: I don't own Teen Titans, just in case I hadn't said.

Things were going relatively well for the Muse on her own. At least, she didn't break down. Claire kept her eye out for anything wrong, and when she saw something that needed the Muse's attention she let Precious know as soon as she could. Sometimes she even pulled Precious out of school (Precious now attended middle school, seventh grade. Claire home schooled her for half the day). Most people treated the Muse with respect, but there were some criminals who weren't as intimidated by her because of her disability. She was pushed around more than she would have liked, but she somehow managed to get the job done anyway. Actually, if it weren't for that snag, she may have never met her new superhero partner.

She first saw him at a bank robbery. "Stop!" she yelled at the perpetrators.

"Well, lookee here boys," the ring leader said. "If it ain't Muse, the retard vigilante."

"It's autism, not mental retardation," the Muse retorted. "I'm actually quite smart!"

"Yeah, but I heard you're not really strong!" Before she could stop the gang, they took turns striking at her. The leader held a gun to her head. "Not so super now, huh? You gonna stay out of our way?"

Just out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone else. He wore a Viking helmet with horns and two slits for eyes, as well as an expressionless mask. He also wore a golden cape. The rest of his costume was just normal street clothing. The Muse didn't know what to make of it all, but then she saw him grabbing the robbers' bag of money. "Hey!" she screamed.

"Hey you! Give that back!" the robbers screamed all at once. The mysterious boy ran with the bag to the vault and pounded his fist on the door. The Muse understood. He was trying to open it and put the money back where it belonged. It wasn't working, but at least it was providing enough of a distraction for the Muse to get back to doing her thing. She used her powers to restrain the robbers just in time for the cops to come.

She approached the stranger as a bank teller was taking the money back from him. "Thanks for your help. Who are you?"

The stranger didn't answer. Instead, he put a slip of paper into the Muse's hand. Then he ran away. The Muse looked at the paper expecting to see a secret message. It must have been secret, so secret that even she couldn't read it. It looked like a bunch of scribbles.

She came home confused. "I hear you caught them, honey," Claire greeted. "Good job."

"Thanks. Mommy, can you read this?"

Claire looked at the paper. "It doesn't look legible to me. Where did you get this?"

"Well, there was this guy who came out of nowhere to help me. He wouldn't tell me who he was. All he did was give me this, and I can't read it. Do you think he's making fun of me somehow?"

"I don't know, honey."

"Wait, I got an idea." That evening, she scanned and e-mailed the cryptic message to Richie. "Backpack is equipped with all sorts of code breakers and language programs. Maybe it can decipher the message."

But when she called Richie on the Shock Box the next evening, he was stumped. "I have no idea. It looks like a little child wrote this. Maybe he didn't know it was so hard to read."

"That's an idea. Maybe Adam can tell what it means. Is he still on tour?"

"Yeah, I think so. I don't think Adam would help much. I think your best bet is to ask the guy himself."

"Well, I guess I could try."

But for some reason, the Muse couldn't catch him. He often appeared at the end of the battles, looking at her mysteriously. Sometimes he was able to create a distraction before she got hurt like that last time, but he never helped her ward off the villains. Before she could approach him, he would always take off. He never said a word to anyone.

"He's the strangest superhero I've ever seen," the Muse said as she called Static and Gear. "Who's ever heard of a superhero who doesn't really do anything?"

"I have. They're usually called 'sidekicks,' " Static replied.

"Hey!" Gear and the Muse said simultaneously.

"But you guys are different! You're partners, not sidekicks."

"The way you keep talking about him, though, he acts like he's trying to do something," Gear said. "Maybe you ought to give him more time."

"How much time can I give him?"

"It's up to him, you know."

"At least he's trying to help you rather than trying to upstage you," Static pointed out. "That's how it was when Rubberband Man and Shebang started out with us."

"I guess that's true."

"Why don't we try to think up a superhero name for him? That way at least he won't be some mysterious stranger."

"I don't know. He might already have one picked out."

"Hey, many superheroes have their names chosen by the populace, like Superman and Spiderman," Gear pointed out.

"So, you're sure it's OK?"

"If you're too worried about it, we'll only use it privately, alright?"

"OK."

"So you say he wears a Viking helmet?" Static asked.

"Well, it's golden, and it has horns."

"Yeah, that sounds Viking, alright," Gear said. "Did you know you're part Viking?"

"I am?"

"Yeah. We're mostly Irish, but we got Scandinavian blood as well. So this is part of your heritage. Who knows? This person might be you're Valkyrie."

"What's a Valkyrie?"

"It's a messenger sent from Valhalla to choose the greatest warriors in the world. Of course, if you see one, it means you're going to die."

"Well, that's cheerful," Static said sarcastically.

"It wouldn't work anyway. Valkyrie would have been a great name, but it would only work if it was a girl. I guess 'Viking' is probably taken, and 'Thor.' How about Votan? No, that doesn't sound right. How about Siegfried? He was a Viking hero."

"Yeah, but everybody will ask, 'Where's Roy?'"

"Good point. I know! Ragnarok!"

"Who's that?" Precious asked.

"It's not so much a person as it is an event. It means 'the fate of the gods,' and it refers to the destruction of Valhalla. It was so powerful that it's used in a lot in video games for the strongest attacks."

"Oh yeah. I think I remember that Cumulus learned Ragnarok as his highest attack on the Seventh Ultimate Dream," the Muse answered. "It might work. Ragnarok is fun to say anyway. And you know, I think it's also going to be some future slang. At least, I remember your future selves say Ragnarok a lot. I didn't know what it meant."

"Uh, cool," Static said uncertainly. "So, you'd be starting a trend."

"Hey honey, can you head down now? There's an emergency!" Claire called up.

"Oh, I gotta go. Something big's coming up."

She heard beeping in the background. "It looks like we had a big thing going on here too," Gear said.

"Yeah," Static answered. "There's an attack at Alva industries. We'll talk later, ok?"

"OK. I miss working with you guys!"

"Miss you too, Muse," Gear answered.

"Look after yourself, girlfriend," Virgil added.

Precious signed off and immediately transformed. Then she ran downstairs. "So, what's going on?"

"There's an attack at Lexcorp downtown. They say on TV that several men in metal masks came rampaging in. Lex Luthor may be a crook, but his company does mean a lot of jobs for our town."

"Alright I'll take care of it."

"Be careful, Sweetie!" Claire called after the Muse as she flew away.

She made it down to Lexcorp's major offices and took on the intruders. She used her powers to stop them in their tracks. Strangely, however, none of the intruders put up much of a fight. It was tiring because there were so many of them. Something about these perpetrators was oddly familiar, but the Muse couldn't put her finger on it.

Her hardest fight was in the highest office. Two of the intruders were attacking Lex Luthor himself. Once again, the Muse stopped them with ease. Then she approached the boss who lay beside his desk. "Are you ok, Mr. Luthor?"

He pushed her off as she tried to help him back up to his feet. "Get your hands off of me, you brat!" he snapped at her.

"What? After all the money you donated to charity, this is how you treat . . ." She trailed off as she saw a shadow come over her. Someone was standing in the window above the office. Things started to fall into place. She knew that shadow. The person who owned it began to withdraw. "Stay very still, Mr. Luthor. I think I found the brains of this."

The Muse flew very slowly up to the window. Something was telling her this was a trap, because that was the kind of thing this villain would do. But what other choice did she have? Who else could help her? Not even Ragnarok was here. So she flew through the window into a small room and approach the evildoer. "Slade."

The villain surveyed the hero with his one visible eye, and in that deep, icy voice of his, he said, "Slow again, Muse. I could have taken over Lexcorp by the time you found me."

"Well, hello to you too," she muttered.

"Good, Muse. I see the time you spent with Static and Gear has proven fruitful after all. You have sharpened your wit."

"Why are you here?" she demanded. "I thought I disproved you last time. I showed you that I wasn't a weakling. I thought you had enough."

"Of you? Hardly."

"Then why did you wait so long to show your face . . . er, mask again?"

He paused and crossed his arms. "You are rather apprehensive, Muse."

"Well, if I took by force your greatest treasure, the aspect that makes you what you are, you'd be 'rather apprehensive' too, wouldn't you? Wouldn't you?"

Slade was silent.

The Muse sighed loudly. "What good is it to talk to you anyway? You never answer my questions."

Slade slowly applauded. "Well done, Muse. You grasped a concept that Robin never could. In light of this, I will tell you why I am here. Do you realize that you are the only foe I have ever faced who successfully put me in jail? That's where I found myself when you banished me from Themyscira. You defeated me, and that made you a worthy adversary."

"Yeah, that was kinda what I was aiming for. I mean, sending you to jail, not making you an adversary."

"But you weren't one of the Titans. I saw no reason to step out of my element again and face you. But then, you provided some information that made the challenge all the more interesting. You decided to be honest."

"Do you mean with the whole autism thing?"

"Exactly. Now, I have a question for you. Why did you keep that information under lock and key for five years?"

"I wasn't the one who put it under lock and key."

"Explain."

"Why should I? You won't answer my questions!"

"Point taken, but perhaps I should remind you that you are speaking to a very dangerous individual. Most normal people do whatever such individuals ask with no argument."

"But this goes so deep. I haven't talked about this to anybody since it happened, not even my closest friends."

"My finger is on the button, Muse."

"Alright. It was kept from me. It seemed like everybody knew except me."

A flicker of interest crossed Slade's eye. "Really?"

"Yeah." The Muse turned away from him and spoke to the wall. "I mean, I can understand it to a point. I'm sure they all had their reasons."

"I'm sure they did."

"But part of me still feels hurt. How could everyone I ever trusted and loved keep a secret so important to me?" The Muse began to sob. "It's just . . . I felt . . . I felt . . ."

"Betrayed?"

"Yeah, maybe a little. Wait. B-E-T-R-A-I--no, Y–to commit treason against, to be a traitor to, to be false or disloyal to, to make known unintentionally, to reveal, to lead astray or deceive. Well . . . I don't know. 'Betrayed' is a strong word isn't it?"

"You can't capture betrayal with a dictionary definition. In order to understand what betrayal is, you must experience it."

"And I pray I never do."

"You cannot trust such prayers to be answered. But if you do experience betrayal, you'll have somewhere to go."

"What makes you think I–?"

But before she could finish her question, Slade held up some kind of device. He pushed a button, and a blinding flash emitted from it. When the light faded, Slade was gone. The Muse felt very disoriented for moment, and once she got her bearings she got a really bad headache. Groaning, she climbed down from the small room. "Everything's safe now, I think," she told Lex Luthor on her way out.

On the way to the stairs, she finally ran into Ragnarok. "It's over," she told him. "I've talked to the leader of this whole thing, and he disappeared." Ragnarok nodded and ran away. "Hey wait! We need to talk!"

But Ragnarok didn't look back, so Precious went home. "How'd it go, Honey? Did you successfully smite the wicked?" her mother laughed when she came home.

"This isn't good, Mommy. It's Slade. He's the Teen Titans arch enemy. I've been up against Slade before. Last time he nearly stole my ability to imagine. He's really tough, and he gives me the creeps big time."

"You think the guys could help?"

"Maybe. Hey, Starfire told me nobody knows Slade better than Robin. Maybe I should call the Titans on my new communicator."

"OK. Well, dinner will be ready in about half an hour."

"Alright. Oh, Mommy, could I have some aspirin, please? I got a really bad headache."

"You may."

"Thank you."

As Precious went back upstairs, there was a knock of the door. Claire opened it. Nobody was out there. "Hello?" she asked. There was a flash out of nowhere. She closed the door. "Stupid teenagers," she muttered under her breath.

Precious opened her Titans communicator. It surprised her, but that wasn't all. Robin's picture appeared on the flip. "This is Robin of the Teen Titans. How can we help?"

"Oh, hi Robin. It's the Muse."

Robin smiled. "Hey Muse! How are things going since leaving Dakota?"

"Pretty good, but I need some advice from you and maybe your help."

"OK, what's up?"

"I was just attacked by . . . Slade."

Robin's smile faded, and he punched something off-screen. "I knew it! I knew he wasn't gone forever! Alright, tell me everything."

Precious told him everything she remembered. Robin sometimes interrupted to ask questions, and she answered the best that she could. Finally, Robin sighed. "Well, that must mean you're next."

"Next? Next for what?"

"Slade has chosen you . . . to be his next apprentice."

"WHAT?"

"That what he wants more than anything, well besides global domination of course. He wants someone young that he could share all of his evil plans and secrets with."

"Why does he want that?"

"Slade doesn't like to resolve a lot of those 'why' questions, you know. He never told me why he's so earnest about getting an apprentice. I have a lot of theories."

"Wait, how do you know so much about Slade anyway?"

"Because I was his first apprentice."

"No way! You didn't–"

"I had no choice. He threatened to destroy my friends if I didn't fight on his side."

"What did you do?"

Robin told her the whole story of his experience with Slade, and then he told her about Terra. "That is awful," Precious said. "He is evil."

"Very evil."

"And he wants me to join him now?"

"It sounds like it."

"Oh my goodness, you're right! I just remembered, at Themyscira after he poisoned me, I started crying really hard, and he told Omnaura that if I cried long enough, I would lose all of my individuality and emotions, and then he said I'd be theirs to mold. It nearly worked too. I got to a point where I felt so numb, and everything he said in his ominous voice resonated in my head, like it was my own thoughts. It was awful."

"Yeah, Starfire and Raven felt that way too. They told me their version. They said they felt hopeless. So, I guess it's pretty certain."

"But I don't understand! I'm not strong or agile. He always complains of my being slow. I'm not what he'd want. Why is he after me?"

"That's another 'why' isn't it? You know how it is with those questions and Slade."

"Right. OK, I think I know how to resolve this. Slade will come back and offer to make me his apprentice, and I'll say yes."

"You'll do WHAT!"

"Wait, hear me out. I'll be a terrible apprentice, and Slade will fire me. Then I won't have anything to do with Slade ever again."

"I . . . don't think it'll work."

"Why not? That's how it works on TV."

"This isn't reality TV. It's real. Look, I think we ought to come help you. We have a lot more experience with Slade."

"You sure? Will he try to destroy you again?"

"Trust me, Slade is not one to do the same trick twice. Just meet us on the roof of the Daily Planet. That's a well-known monument."

"Where will you stay?"

"Hey, the T-Bird's got pretty cushy cabin space. Maybe we could arrange for Raven and Starfire to stay with you. They've talked about doing that a lot. We'll be down there in probably about an hour. So meet us . . ."

Then, everything around Robin turn red. Alarms sounded in the background. She could also hear some of the other Titans' voices shouting. "I don't believe it," Robin sighed. "He knows us too well."

"What's going on?"

"It looks like Slade is attacking down here. He's stopping us from what we were just going to do."

"How can that be possible? He was just down here and . . . how could he be in two places at once?"

"'How' questions are also really hard to answer with Slade. But it's probably his robotic drones. He must have thousands of those. Well, we can't make it to Metropolis right away, so for right now, let me just give you some advice."

"I'm listening."

"No matter what, don't become Slade's apprentice."

"Why not? Why don't you like my plan?"

"It's not going to work like that. Trust me, instead of firing you he'd be more likely to beat you up and toss you out like yesterday's lunch meat. I don't think you'd be able to survive. And if you do meet him again, one thing about Slade is that he likes to play with people's thoughts. Just remember, he never tells the whole truth. Don't let him play mind games with you. If you give him just an inch of conviction, he'll win you over to his side. I never told the Titans this, but he was very close to brainwashing me forever. He told me that my biological signs indicated that I enjoyed fighting my friends, and I started to believe that it was true. And you heard what happened to Terra. She would have been a great hero, if he hadn't had gotten to her. So don't listen to a thing he says! Never believe him! Do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand."

"I don't want to lose you like we lost Terra. I mean, I know I don't know you very well, but your friendship means a lot to us, especially to Starfire and Raven."

"OK, I'll make sure I'll remember everything you told me. Pray for me, please?"

"Uh, sure."

"Thank you for everything. Good luck!"

"Same to you. You need it."

"Thanks. Tell the others that I said hi."

"I will. Robin out."

The little communicator went black. Precious picked up her Shock Box. "Wassup?" Static answered.

"Hey, how'd it go?" Precious asked.

"Well, it wasn't all that difficult. If you don't mind, though, can we talk later? We just took on these metalheads, and Gear and I both have bad migraines, and it's hard to think."

"OK, but let's talk as soon as we can. This is pretty important." As Static signed of, Precious muttered to herself, "'M-I-G-R-A-I-N-E, a severe, recurring headache, usually affecting one side of the head.' They have headaches too? That's odd."

She lay in bed until her mother called her down to supper. Precious told her everything she had heard. "These headaches must be infectious. I just got one too. Maybe it's a symptom of a virus."

"Oh no. Slade spreading a virus? This could be very bad."

"Well, Slade may have nothing to do with it. Remember, he's human under that mask. Maybe he has a cold."

"No, I don't think so. I didn't feel anything until he nearly blinded me with a flash of light. I bet that has something with everything."

"It must have been very bright."

"Yeah, I guess so. I'm tired. I'm going to bed early."

Precious went upstairs and got ready for bed. She wanted to read, but her head hurt too much to concentrate. So she turned out the lights and tried to think. "Slade. What does he want? Why is he after me? Why isn't he taking this up with the Titans? Oh, what good is it asking all of these questions? They'll never be answered. Slade is probably laughing at me right now. Wait, I don't think I've ever heard him laugh. That's strange. Every other villain I ever matched had some kind of diabolical laugh. Why doesn't he? He would be the most likely to laugh, wouldn't he?"

She kept thinking about these questions until she drifted into a deep sleep. Then she rose from her bed and went downstairs. "Good morning, Mommy," she yawned. Claire answered by striking Precious' face and throwing her out before she could ask why. Then she transformed into the Muse and she began flying. Static and Gear were both in the air. They were flying far ahead of her, and the more she tried to catch up, the faster they went. Then she realized that they were deliberately staying out of her reach. She called out to them, but they acted like they couldn't hear. Then she saw Titan Tower. She went inside. Everyone turned their backs on her. Raven wouldn't even acknowledge the Muse when she called out telepathically.

She went back outside to catch her breath. A hooded figure came up to her. "What is wrong, child?"

"Everyone I love has left me. I'm all alone."

"Oh, poor girl," the figure whispered gently. "You don't deserve this. Let me take you in."

"But I don't know who you are."

"You can trust me. Take my hand."

Precious reached for it hesitantly. The hand grasped her fingers and squeezed them. He was crushing her. "Sir, please, you're hurting me." He held on harder. "No. Let go! Let go! Let go!" She finally managed to pull her hand out of his grip, and as she did she knocked off his hood, revealing his face. It was Slade.

Precious backed away in shock. Slade looked straight at her silently. He seemed to linger, and then he slowly started to fade away in a Cheshire Cat fashion. His eye was the last to disappear.

Then Precious realized that she was in her room. "It's just a dream," she said to herself. She lay back in bed until she fell asleep again. If she had another dream, she didn't remember it. The first dream was already starting to fade in her memory. When she woke up next time, the sun was up. She checked her clock. "9:00? Why didn't Mommy wake me up for school? Is something wrong?"

She got dressed and went downstairs. Claire was in the living room watching the morning news while drinking coffee. "Mommy, I should have been at school an hour ago. What's wrong?"

Claire turned around. "What did you call me?"

"Mommy. That's who you are."

"No, hon. I don't have a child."

"What! Yes you do! You have me! Precious Swan!"

"Well, that does sound like something I'd come up with, but I'm not a mother. I don't know what you're trying to pull, but you don't belong here! Get out!"

"Mommy, don't! Please!"

"I'm not having it! I'm not giving you free food and shelter! 'If one will not work, neither shall he eat!' Out!" And to Precious' shock and horror, her mother pushed her out of the house.

"What kind of strange joke is this?" Precious wondered. "Or is Mommy punishing me for something? Why does this feel familiar? Maybe I could find somewhere I can stay, like Dakota. I just need to get my superhero stuff." She climbed up the fire escape ladder to her room and quickly grabbed Magic Hat 2, her uniform, her Shock Box, and her Titan communicator. She tried to page both of her communicators, but she got no response on either of them. "Weird. Well, once I get down there, I'll find out what's going on with that."

It took her a long time to get to Dakota. She didn't remember how to get there from her home. However, she finally managed, and she made it to the gas station. Virgil cracked open the door before she approached it. "Uh, you know that this gas station is closed."

"Virgil, it's me!"

"Virgil? I . . . don't know anybody by that name."

"Yeah, you do. It's you! And you know it."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Virgil!" she whined. "Well, is Richie there?"

"Uh, Richie?"

"Or Gear. Please, let me talk to him! I'm his cousin!"

"Cousin?" Richie's voice said in the back. "I only have one aunt, and she doesn't have a kid."

"She did to! She had me, Precious Swan!"

"Look," Virgil said, "this is kinda a secret hideout, and you're not supposed to be in on the secret. So forget you were ever here, ok?"

"But–" But before she could argue, he slammed the door in her face. "I don't believe this. Maybe Aunt Maggie will remember me."

Aunt Maggie opened the door and listened to Precious' plight. "Oh you poor dear. Wait a moment." She went back in the house and came back out with her purse. She gave Precious five dollars. "Get yourself a supper at Burger Fool."

"What? Wait!" But Aunt Maggie closed the door. "No! Mr. Hawkins. Even if he doesn't remember me, he'll help me."

Mr. Hawkins didn't remember her, but he did offer his help and gave her his number. Sharon walked down the hall of the community center, passed by Precious, and didn't even say "hi."

"Well, I guess my next bet is to go down to Gotham. Or maybe the Titans will take me in. Maybe I'll finally get to stay at the tower. Terra's old room probably available now."

Finding the tower was easier than she anticipated. She knew it was in the east. She pounded on the door. "Please, let me in! Nobody else will let me in!" Robin opened the door. "Robin, please tell me you remember me!"

"Sorry, no room."

"Oh, but you do have a vacant room. I know you do."

"I said no room!"

"Look, whether or not you had a room was beyond the point. I said do you remember me?"

"Nope, never seen you before."

"We talked just yesterday on our communicators! See?"

"How'd you get one of those?"

"You gave it to me for my thirteenth birthday!"

"We had a bad experience letting somebody into the Titans. We're not hiring right now."

"I'm not asking to be in the Titans! I'm asking for help!"

"We can't help you right now. I'm sorry."

"No!" Robin closed the door. "Raven!" she screamed in her mind. "Remember me, the Muse? Please say that you do, please!" But she got no answer. "Oh, dear God, why? Help me!" she screamed at Heaven.

She flew to the town, hid herself in an alley, and bawled. The sky began to cry as well. What did this all mean? Why did everybody leave her? What can she do now?

"Looks like you have nowhere to go."

Precious gasped and turned around. "Slade!" She was shocked at his sudden appearance, but somehow she was also relieved. She couldn't explain why.

Slade put his hands on her shoulders surprisingly gently. "Yes, I know it hurts," he whispered. "Just let it out."

"Why? Do you want me to cry out my individuality again, until I'm your puppet?"

"Not this time."

Precious sobbed. "I can't believe they all left me alone!"

"Why is it such a surprise to you?"

"They were people I loved and trusted. You wouldn't happen to know what's going on, would you?"

"Actually, I do. I told you yesterday, remember?"

"What did you tell me?"

"I said that betrayal cannot be captured by words but by experience. This is betrayal, Muse."

"No. Why would they?"

"People are afraid of what they do not understand. They are afraid of you because of your condition."

"But they knew before I did, most of them did."

'And they kept it from you. They didn't have your best interests at heart. They were cruel from the beginning. Haven't you noticed that they used you this whole time?"

"That's ridi–well, that may be right. My goodness, I never knew. But my own mother! Why would she betray me?"

"It's no surprise. Most parents of autistic children give up. They hand them over to mental hospitals. It was only a matter of time since she decided she could not handle you anymore."

"But I've been getting better!"

"How would you know? You're not cured, are you?"

"But there is no cure! There maybe one in the future, but not now."

"That's your problem. Until you're normal, they won't ever give you the respect you need. However, I am different. I am on your side, because I know very well how you feel."

"You have been betrayed too?"

"Many times. Robin betrayed me. Terra betrayed me. Omnaura betrayed me."

"Omnaura? It must have been because you couldn't defeat me."

"That was part of it. You don't know the whole tragedy. She, and the others, turned from me when I needed them. But I was faithful to them, and I will be loyal to you. I will never betray you. I will hold no secrets from you."

"But all you are is secrets."

"No longer. Whatever you ask, I will answer. I am sure you have many questions. You have been hungering for answers ever since we met. Go on dear. Ask me anything. Ask me who I am. Ask me what I am planning. Ask me why I hate the Titans. Ask me how I liquified complacency. It is all at your disposal. Test me, Muse. Test my word."

"Well, there was one thing I was wondering last night, just as I was going to sleep."

"Tell me. Go ahead."

"See, I have faced many villains, and one thing about them is that they all have this laugh. You know, that kind of laugh that they make when they feel everything is going according to plan. And you're really good at having everything going according to plan, maybe better than any other villain I faced. And yet you haven't done as much as crack a sm–" (She turned to him and realized that his mouth wasn't even visible.) "OK, never mind that part, but anyway, why don't you ever laugh?"

"Very good question to start with. Come here. I will tell you." She came closer to him, and his mask knelt down to her face level as he whispered, "I'm much too cool for that."

And then, his one eye winked.

Precious couldn't stop herself. She giggled madly.

Slade put a finger under her chin. "You're pleased? Good."

"Wait a minute," Precious said as she backed away. Lightning and thunder began to strike. "This information can't come without a price, and I know that price! You want me to be your apprentice!" Lightning struck again.

"Now, what told you that?"

"I had a talk with Robin yesterday, before he betrayed me. He said that was what you were after. But have you thought this through? I don't know much about you, but I know your type. You're very strong and fast, supple and coordinated, and I'm not! And don't tell me you're going to teach me how, because I know that's not going to work. Didn't Omnaura tell you? My cerebellum doesn't work right."

"I know all of this, Muse, and I have thought it through. I have plans for you. I will see to all of your needs. I will nurture you as I would my own daughter. I will give you liberally the strength which you lack. You will be more powerful than ever before. Who knows? Perhaps, I can cure you."

Thunder again.

"You really think you can?" Precious asked.

"Yes. Think about it, Muse. Where else can you go?"

"Nowhere. You're right."

"So, will you join me?"

More thunder, and this time it was very close and very loud. Precious let out a small scream. She clamped her hands on her ears, shut her eyes, and hyperventilated. Then, she felt a hand stroke her hair. She opened her eyes and realized that Slade was hugging her. "It's alright. I am here. I will protect you," he whispered.

Once she finally calmed down, she said in a sigh, "OK. I'll do it."

"You will belong to me?"

"Yeah."

"Do you swear to serve me and me alone from this day forward?"

"I can still serve my God, can't I?"

"That was not part of the question."

"I can't answer that."

"Then, will you do I command?"

"I'll try."

"Will you fight by my side forever?"

"Look, the only thing I will promise is that I'll fight and I'll give it my all. And there's something else. I think it will be best for both of us if we make this a trial. Three days. If you do everything you can and I still don't meet your expectations, you let me go. And we'll never deal with each other again."

Slade's eye widened in surprise. "Never?"

"Never. If you want to wreak havoc, take it up with the Titans. It's their fight, not mine."

Slade was silent, and then he answered, "Agreed." He held his hand out, and they shook. Right on cue, thunder and lightning struck once again. "Now, let's go home, my dear."

He led her to his "home," and she was immediately creeped out. "A graveyard? This isn't where Starfire said you lived."

"My old hideout is in ruins. We must be discreet. We want to catch the Titans by surprise."

"I guess that's true. Wow, I don't think I've ever been in a graveyard before. Everybody says they're really scary, but I don't see anything too weird about it. Hey, that guy lived a hundred years ago. That's neat. If he was still alive today, he'd be over a hundred years old. I guess you don't believe in ghosts, do you? Uh, Slade? That was a question, directed to you."

"You do not have to worry about ghosts," he said rather impatiently. "I scare them all away."

"Oh, fair enough."

He led her down to the middle of the graveyard. A large cross stood there with a name Precious couldn't read. At the base of this cross was a door to a crypt. Slade pushed a button, and the door opened. "After you."

"No, you lead me, please."

"Very well."

Slade climbed down the stairs, and Precious followed after him. The stairs went down much further than six feet under, that was certain. Precious felt a little nervous, so she started singing a song on her mind.

"Why are you singing?"

"'Cause I like to sing," she answered.

"There is a time for music, and this is not it. You and I will dance and sing as we watch the world burn."

"Um, ok. I'm sorry."

They finally reached the bottom of the stairs. It certainly didn't look like underground there. There were large machines and monitors and a lot of stuff that looked interesting, just nothing that looked comfortable, or fun.

"Make yourself at home," Slade said quietly. "I have to take care of something."

"OK." How in the world was she going to "make herself at home" here? It was so cold, in more ways than one. She looked and looked for something she could do to relax, but there was nothing. The large TVs only showed parts of the city, and they would not change the channel. "How does he stand it?" she thought. "How did his former apprentices stand it? I'm starting to think that it's not going to be long before I die of boredom."

Slade came back in about half an hour with a pizza box. "I believe you need to eat around this time."

"You stole a pizza?"

"I do not steal everything, just what I need for world domination. There are some things that are worth getting honestly."

"Well, alright." She opened the box. "Pepperoni, my favorite. How'd you know?"

"It was on sale."

"Oh. You want some?"

"I'll pass."

"You sure? Do you eat?"

"I do, but I am not fond of pizza. I have more of a taste for liver."

"Oh. Well, ok then. I don't like liver much, so I guess we're even."

"So we are. Let us talk no longer. Eat, and renew your strength. We have much to do tomorrow."

"OK." She ate as much pizza as she could, then felt abnormally tired. She fell asleep on the floor.

Slade picked her up, put her in a bed, and wrapped her in a blanket. "Goodnight."

But it was not a good night. Precious had another nightmare. Once again, she felt like she was awake when she had the dream. She dreamed that she woke to the smell of something burning. She pulled herself off of the floor. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. Then she heard Robin's voice echoing off the walls. "No matter what, don't become Slade's apprentice . . . he'd be more likely to beat you up and toss you out . . . I don't think you'd be able to survive . . ."

Then, before her eyes, everything caught on fire. Precious ran to escape, but Omnaura appeared out of nowhere and did her trick to make Precious fall. A girl made out of dirt and rock came out of the ground and held Precious down.

"Let me go!" Precious screamed.

"You can't go!" Omnaura said.

"You made a promise!" the dirt girl (who must have been Terra) added.

"I warned you, Muse," Robin's disembodied voice said.

Then Slade appeared. "Slade! Help me!" Precious yelled.

"I am helping you. This is your training," he answered.

"What do you want me to do?"

Slade whispered, "Wait in the fire." His command was repeated over and over again by the girls, by Robin, even by the flames. It kept growing louder and louder as the fire devoured the walls and closed in on Precious.

"No! This won't make me stronger. This will only kill me! Don't let me die!" She fought the ghostly women off of her and reached for Slade. He looked down at her. She grabbed his mask. It fell off.

And she saw the most hideous face ever.

She woke screaming in terror. Then she looked around and saw that the room was not on fire. "Another nightmare," she sighed. But her mind was still riddled with the fear. She went into the main room and watched the TV with the city. She felt at peace.

When she awoke again, she found a good breakfast waiting for her as well as a metallic outfit. "I guess Slade thinks that I'm going to work for him, I have to look like him," she thought aloud. "Oh well. I hope it's comfortable. I wish it had more color." She put it on. It fit rather well, even allowing space for her wings, but it wasn't comfortable. She felt stiff.

She ate her breakfast. She looked around, but she couldn't find a toothbrush or a hairbrush. She ran her fingers through her hair and rinsed her mouth out with water. Then there was nothing to do. Slade wasn't anywhere to be seen. Precious leaned back on a counter. She found a gadget on the floor and played a little with it. She pressed its buttons and listened to its metallic sounds. She threw it against the wall and was surprised to see it bounce back at her with a "ping!" She hit it on the wall repeatedly and absentmindedly began to sing again.

"What did I tell you about singing?" Slade's voice echoed as he came into the room.

"I'm sorry, Slade. I thought you weren't around."

"Even when I'm not here, I am still your master, and you are still my apprentice." He took the device from her. "Be careful with this. If you push the wrong buttons, you may forget everything."

"But Slade, I'm bored. I might have reconsidered this deal if I knew that you had no TV, no books, no games, no computers, no music, no toys, no radio, no DVD player, no method of entertainment whatsoever! How do you stand it? I would go crazy! Don't you do anything for fun?"

"You want stimulation?" Slade answered. "Very well. I think you're ready for your first lesson. Now, on your feet."

Precious got to her feet slowly. "OK, what do you want me to–OW!" Slade punched her in the face.

"Block it!" he ordered.

"How?" she asked, but he punched her again. She tried to dodge him, but he was so quick. "Stop it! Please stop it!"

"Begging won't get you far," he replied as he struck at her again.

"But what am I supposed to do?"

"You promised me your best. Use your powers!"

"Of course! Magic!" she ordered. She froze his fist in place. Then she backed away.

"What are you waiting for? Attack me! Give it all you got!"

"Will you not hurt me?"

"I can't promise that. Just go!"

So she hit back. It looked like it was working at first. Then Slade grabbed one of her wings and flipped her on her back. "See? You never know what the enemy is going to do."

"You're not the enemy."

"I'm playing the role of the enemy. Now, get up and try again."

"Can't you be easier on me? I'm supposed to be learning how to be stronger!"

"Your foe will not be easy on you. The only way for you to learn is if you feel the full force."

"This is your plan?"

"No. I want you to see your weakness."

"I don't have to see my weakness! I know it's there!"

He struck her again. He got out his cane. She kept trying to dodge it unsuccessfully and eventually fell down. "Time out . . . No more . . . I'm too tired," she said in between gasps.

"Good. You're ready. On your feet. Now, concentrate. Tell yourself you want to do better. You want to be stronger and faster."

"This is silly."

"DO IT!"

"OK, I'll do it!" She took a breath and thought about it. Suddenly, Slade flung his cane again, and she jumped at the right time. She pushed him back and nearly knocked him over. He struck at her again, and she dodged again. She hit back without missing. Over and over, he hit, she dodged, she hit back. Finally, she did a backward flip when he tried to get her again. She stopped.

"That's my girl."

"That was weird. What is going on? That didn't feel like me."

"It wasn't you, not entirely. That suit you're wearing is more than a fashion statement. It gives me control over your nervous system. As you said, your cerebellum is weak. I am able to redirect the electrical impulses in your brain so that it could do more, but it needs adequate stimulation first."

"But I can still use my power, right?"

"Of course. It was a mistake for me to attempt to take away your imagination before. Look at you. See what working with me has got you? You are better than ever before. You have the power to do whatever you want!"

"You're right. I am better. I really am! Thank you, Slade, thank you!" She reached out to hug him, but he stopped her.

"Don't thank me yet, apprentice. It is time to try your skills in the real world. I have just the job for you."

"Yeah, I'm ready! What do you want me to do?"

She flew carefree to Wayne Industries. There was some sort of device heavily guarded that Slade wanted her to retrieve. She asked herself on the way, why was she so afraid? Why did she have nightmares? Why was Robin so worried? Working with Slade has been the best thing that had ever happened to her! She felt wonderful, and yet she felt empty. "Well, I'll get over that in time. He did," she thought.

She successfully pounded the guards at the door, using her new physical powers and her imaginative powers. Then she went inside and saw the device that she was require to retrieve held suspended in a laser. All of her euphoria spilled out of her. She stood as still as a pole and started whispering under her breath.

"Why are you hesitating?" Slade demanded in her earpiece.

"Shh!" she hissed. "I'm praying for forgiveness."

"What good will that do you? You're too far gone."

"No! Never!"

"Don't fool yourself. Now, go!"

She took a few steps closer. "Maybe if I just count to ten. One . . . two . . . three . . . four . . ."

"Fivesixseveneightnineten!" Slade finished for her very quickly. "Go!"

"Slade, I'm scared! This is wrong! I could get in trouble!"

"You'll get into more trouble if you don't do what I say!"

"I don't know, the trouble I could get into is pretty serious."

"Never mind that! Get me that device!"

"NO! I CAN'T DO IT! PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME! IT'S WRONG! IT'S AGAINST THE RULES! PLEASE!" She started to rock back and forth and hyperventilate. "I can't do it!"

"You can! You will!"

Suddenly, she felt intense pain all through her body. She was being shocked! She recognized the jolting feeling after working with Static for so long. It never felt this strong. Then it stopped.

"How did that feel?" Slade said.

"It hurt."

"That is what you will feel if you hesitate for one second longer. Now, get me that device!"

"Oh, what have I done?" Precious thought. "I am so stupid! Why didn't I listen to Robin? Why did I join Slade? But what Slade told me is true. Robin has turned his back on me. Everybody has. Slade is the only one who cares."

"Just remember," she said out loud, "'I took this job 'cause I needed one.' I'm here because you took me in when no one else would. That doesn't mean I agree with you!"

"I don't care about your motives, and soon neither will you. Now, do what I sent you to do."

She reached for the device. "I can't believe I'm doing this. Do I have to do this for the rest of my life?" she thought.

"Freeze!" Robin's voice said behind her.

"See where your hesitation has gotten you?" Slade hissed in her ear.

"Don't worry. I'll take care of them." She turned around and faced the Titans.

"Muse?" Raven asked.

"Oh no!" Starfire shrieked. "Say it is not true!"

"Starfire, I–" the Muse began to say.

"NO!" Slade demanded. "They are dead to you now. Don't respond to them."

"Dead? It's that strong?"

"They are the ones who turned on you."

"But Starfire and Raven--"

"Are fooling you. Don't give in."

"It's you!" Robin said coldly. "I knew there was a reason I shouldn't trust you. You work for Slade!"

Just then, the Muse got a plan. "That's right," she responded sounding as evil as she could. "I do work for Slade. He took me in when you cast me out."

"Why would we cast you out?" Starfire asked. "You are our friend!"

"I was your friend, until you betrayed me! Slade has made stronger than ever. I'm the best superhe–uh, I mean villain ever! I dare you to defeat me!"

"What are you doing?" Slade asked.

"It's called provocation. It draws attacks to myself, and it's very effective."

"Impressive. I'm seeing a side of you that I did not know existed."

"Thanks. I learned it from Galaxy Sea."

"You're on!" Robin responded. He came at her, and she dodged his attacks.

"Is that all you got?" she sneered. She hit back and nearly knocked Robin out.

"Titans, go!" Robin commanded.

Cyborg and Starfire shot beams of energy at her, and she successfully dodged each of them. "Come on! I know you can do way better than this!"

"Drop the act!" Rave demanded. She hovered in front of the Muse, her eyes glowing with righteous fury. "This isn't you, Muse. You're not cut out for Slade, and you know it."

"I am too!" she said aloud, but then she thought, "Raven, do you really want to get me out of this?"

"Are no–" but then she understood the thought. "Yes, I do," she responded mentally.

"Then you have to defeat me. I made a deal with Slade that if he wasn't pleased with me he can turn me loose."

"Do you expect him to follow through?"

"He said he would. He keeps his word. I've seen it!"

"Why do you trust pure evil?"

"Just defeat me, please!"

"As you wish." Raven chanted aloud, "Azerath, Metrion, ZINTHOS!" Her dark power flowed out of her hands. The Muse flipped several times and dodged the attack. Then she used her powers to freeze Raven. "You're not making this easy," Raven thought back.

"That was my part of the deal. I promised to do my best, so I can't go easy on you."

Just then, Beast Boy, who had transformed into a T-Rex, roared in her face. The sound terrified her, but she got another idea thanks to an old bedtime story. "That's pretty good Beast Boy. You can transform into an extinct beast, but I bet you can't turn into a ladybug."

He changed back into his original form. "Oh yeah! I'll show you!" He transformed again.

"Magic!" She made an unbreakable soap bubble around him.

"Hey!" Beast Boy tried to transform again, but he was restricted by the bubble.

"Very cunning, apprentice," Slade said.

"Thanks. My . . . mommy told me that one," she said dejectedly.

"So, will you squash him?"

"No, I want to play with him more!"

"Remember what they did to you."

"I remember, but I want to . . . prolong their suffering," she said quickly.

"Good girl. Now, get the device and come home."

"After I defeat them." She looked up and realized that the Titans were ganging up on her. She leapt and flipped a few times, but she didn't look where she was going. She was backing into a stairwell, and she tripped over the first step. "Oh! Oh no! AGGGGGGH!"

She fell down all of the stairs. She pulled herself up and tried to get over the shock. She ached all over all over, but her foot hurt the most. "MUSE! What have you done?" Slade yelled into her earpiece.

"Oh," she groaned. "Well, he's displeased now," she thought. "Mission accomplished."

The Titans came up to her. "Time out, guys," she said. "I think I broke my foot."

"Let me take a look," Cyborg said. "I used to be an athlete. I know these injuries well. Now, take off your shoe." The Muse nodded and took her tennis shoe off. Cyborg slid his hand around her ankle. The light in his eye blinked. "Can you move it in a circle? Tell me when it hurts."

The Muse nodded. She rotated her foot and squealed with pain.

"It's not broken. You just sprained your ankle. You need to keep it elevated and on ice for twenty-four hours. You also need to wrap it and keep off your foot for the next couple of weeks."

"OK."

"Let me heal it," Raven offered.

"No!" Robin yelled. "Consider this a lesson for the company you keep. But don't worry about your foot. I'm sure that will be taken care of once you get to prison."

"Don't send me to jail, please!" the Muse begged. "I didn't steal anything! The only thing I did wrong was fight you guys."

"She's telling the truth," Raven said.

"She works for Slade!" Robin answered. "That's evil enough!"

"You worked for Slade!" the Muse yelled back. "Have you ever incarcerated yourself?"

Robin screamed and flung himself toward her.

"Robin, can we have a word?" Raven said gravely.

"Fine," Robin groaned.

"May I speak with you well?" Starfire asked.

"Alright. Titans, huddle." Robin, Starfire, Raven, and Cyborg withdrew. "Beast Boy, keep an eye on her."

"Will do," Beast Boy replied from his bubble.

The Muse couldn't hear everything they said, but she caught bits of it. "Don't be so hard on her," Raven said. "She's conflicted in her mind. Somehow, she trusts Slade, but she doesn't want to do what he does. She's still a good kid."

"What do you mean, 'still?'" Robin yelled. "I saw her for the first time yesterday."

"Yeah, this is the first I've seen her, too," Cyborg added.

"She somehow stole a communicator and made up a silly story that I gave it to her for her birthday."

"But you did!" Starfire answered. "Perhaps you do not remember her because you did not accompany Raven and me to Themyscira."

"Starfire, I think you're giddy from these past couple of sleepless nights."

"I told you, Tamarians do not have the same sleep cycles. The head pangs were too great for me to sleep, but that does not mean I cannot function well without a couple of nights of slumber."

"Doesn't anybody remember Terra? I'm not going to make the same mistake twice!"

"She's not Terra!" Raven yelled. "If she were Terra, she wouldn't beg me to defeat her so that she could get away from Slade!"

"Agreed!" Starfire cried. "She is not the traitor Terra was. She is the Muse! She is our friend!"

The Muse was astonished. "They didn't all betray me! Starfire and Raven are standing up for me like true friends. But Robin is still cold. He thinks I am Terra. I cannot join the Titans because Robin may never trust me again. I don't deserve his trust. So where should I go now? Maybe they'll need me at the ARC. Wait, Bruce Wayne! It would take something really serious to make him betray me! I bet he'll take me, and then I'll live in a mansion. That would be so cool!"

But then, a shadow fell over her. The Muse gasped. "What are you doing?"

"What do you think? I have come to take you home," Slade answered.

"But, wait! I'm no good to you now."

But he didn't answer. He picked her up and carried her out of the building in his arms. The Titans spotted him too late. "Slade!" Robin yelled.

"Another day, Robin," Slade responded. He walked on without looking back.

The Muse kept squirming trying to get out. Slade tightened his grip just slightly. She gave one last look at Raven and mouthed, "Help me."

But Raven understood something else. She told Starfire alone, "I saw a mental image. Slade is hiding her in the cemetery."

"Then we must rescue her!" Starfire said decidedly.

Slade was stone silent. He just kept walking slowly, and the Muse had no choice but to watch helplessly everything and everyone she passed. At one moment, she thought she saw a glint of gold, but it was gone in a flash.

Precious watched depressed as she saw the doors of the crypt close before her. Slade carried her down to the hideout and put her down on the bed. Then, he turned away.

"Slade," she asked, "why did you take me back? This isn't going to heal in three days. I'm useless to you."

"I am well aware of that," he replied.

"I'm sorry. I know I let you down, but I know I held up my side of the bargain. I did my best. I'm just such a klutz. Even your technology can't solve that. I try to be careful, and sometimes I just mess up. I hate that part of me."

"I understand," he answered.

"Slade, there's still something I don't get. Why did you choose me? If you know me as well as you say that you do, you would know this. You would know that I don't like exiting my comfort zone. I follow rules to a T. Your cool little mind trick works, but it only goes so far. It doesn't cure me. And before you knew, why did you go after me in Themyscira, even though I wasn't one of the Titans? What is it about me that you find so intriguing? And I gotta ask, what are you? Are you a man, or are you a monster? What do you want to do with me in the end?"

Slade turned to her. "I will tell you what you need to know, but it is probably nothing that you do not know already." He walked to her bedside, stroked her head, and knelt down to her ear. Then, his hand that had once gently caressed her scalp grabbed her hair by its roots. His answer began as a whisper, but it gradually grew louder until he was screaming in her ear:

"You . . . ask . . . too . . . many . . . QUESTIONS!"

He violently let go. "But, you said you'd answer any question! That was your promise!"

"You broke your promise first!"

"What do you mean? I told you, I did my best!"

"I had control of your nervous system. Did it never occur to you that I would have access to your thoughts? I heard your entire telepathic conversation to Raven. You tried to sabotage the mission!"

"Oh, why didn't I think of that? Well, I guess you realize now that I don't want to be a part of this anymore."

"So, now you're betraying me?"

"No! No! Slade, I still trust you, but I can't do this anymore! I'm not the apprentice that you want!"

"I know. I see that now. I'm sorry, Muse. I know we agreed on three days, but you have already too greatly displeased me."

"So, you'll let me go?"

"Not as such."

"What do you mean? That's what you promised."

"Yes, but I also promised that I would not bother you any longer. I'm afraid there is only one way to keep from tempting me from pursuing you in the future."

He held up something that looked like a pen with a small lightning bolt emitting from its tip. The Muse understood.

"You wouldn't!"

"Oh, I would. I have been planning it since I made that deal with you. I did get concerned the more I got to know you that I would not be able to do it."

Precious breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that he actually did care.

"That injury is a blessing in disguise, my dear Muse. It makes it much more difficult for you to get away!"

Precious gasped and fell off the bed as Slade came in closer. She dragged herself backward with her hands. "But you said you care about me! You said you cared about me like you I was daughter!"

"Even your reasoning is slow, Muse. You misunderstood. I said I would care FOR you, not care ABOUT you!" He sounded much angrier than he ever had before.

The Muse nearly missed being electrocuted. "Slade! Please! You did so much for me, and . . . Slade, you're like the father I never had! I love you!" It was a somewhat genuine sentiment, but it was more of a desperate attempt to save her life.

Slade's visible eye squinted. "You made a serious mistake, Muse." It sounded muffled, as though he spoke through gritted teeth. "You want secrets? I'll tell you the greatest secret of all. I HATE LOVE! I cannot stand it in any form! That's why I hate the Titans, defeating evil with friendship! That's why I never laugh, for laughter is a sound of joy, and joy is a byproduct of love. And that's the reason why I threw Omnaura out!"

"Omnaura? You said she betrayed you!"

"And she did! I did everything to get her partnership. I broke her out of house arrest. I concocted the perfect plan to destroy you at her request. And she threw everything away when she tried to pry off my mask and give me a kiss! SHE THOUGHT I WAS IN LOVE!"

Once again he struck at her, and once again he nearly missed. "So what happened to her?"

"Have you ever read the name of the crypt we go down in to get here? It says, 'Dr. Karen Roberts!'"

"Who?"

"Did you ever realize that Omnaura had another name?"

"No! You didn't!"

"Relax. She got away, but I have her life's work."

"Her neural helmet?"

"Yes. She gave it to me in exchange for her life. And now part of her is gone forever. This monument stands in memory of the woman she once was. You're not so lucky, I am afraid, my dear. I already made up my mind about what I want to do with you!"

"But why are you like this? Why?"

"DON'T ASK!"

"But don't you know me? I try to reason with villains. I even made a few friends of the people fight."

"And I tried to put some sense into you!"

"You?" Suddenly, things began to flash before her eyes, beginning with the flash, the headache, the dream. Snatches of her memory played back:

"There's an attack at Alva industries."

"Lex Luthor may be a crook, but his company does mean a lot of jobs for our town."

"It looks like Slade is attacking down here. He's stopping us from what we were just going to do."

"We just took on these metalheads, and Gear and I both have bad migraines, and it's hard to think."

"These headaches must be infectious. I just got one too."

"No. Let go! Let go! Let go!"

"No, hon. I don't have a child."

"This is kinda a secret hideout, and you're not supposed to be in on the secret."

"I said no room!"

"This is betrayal, Muse."

"I told you, Tamarians do not have the same sleep cycles. The head pangs were too great for me to sleep."

"You can't go!"

"You made a promise!"

"I warned you, Muse."

"Wait in the fire. Wait in the fire! WAIT IN THE FIRE!"

"YOU DID THIS!" the Muse screamed. "My friends never betrayed me, you turned them against me! I understand everything now. You sent me and my friends on futile missions, just so we could experience that flash. It was all part of your mind games! It put a suggestion into my brain. That's why I had such a headache. You must have traced me, Static, and Gear so you somehow found out families and did the same. And that suggestion was activated in my dreams! You painted yourself as trustworthy and prepared me for what you were about to do to my friends and loved ones. You erased my memory from their minds! Even worse, you made me look like a vagabond and a criminal! You brainwashed us all! That's why Raven and Starfire didn't fall for it. Starfire couldn't sleep, and I bet Raven meditated to get rid of her headache, thus she got rid of your suggestion."

"You're smarter than I thought, Muse. You figured everything out. I applaud your ingenuity."

"But why did you go through all that trouble? You even turned Mommy against me! My own mother, Slade! You are a monster! Part of me knew all along! My subconscious was never fooled. It even made your perfect dream into a nightmare, and it kept the nightmares coming."

"Then why didn't you leave when you had the chance?"

"I never had the chance!"

"Yes you did. I left you alone so many times because I was testing your loyalty. I was seeing if you would try to escape, and you stayed put. Don't try to make me look like the bad guy, Muse. The only one you have to blame is yourself!"

"I'm not listening to you anymore! You never tell the truth!"

"You don't have to listen to me any longer. It will all be over soon."

Slade pushed a button on his arm. The Muse felt another shock and stopped scooting. She couldn't move. "The suit!"

"Yes. You can't get away. Goodbye, Muse."

Just then, she heard a sound from above. She spotted a gold cape in the ceiling. Then it fell, luckily on the bed. The person who owned the cape looked straight at Slade. The Muse felt like a weight had lifted from her heart. "RAGNAROK!" the Muse screamed for joy.

The hero scrambled over to her and stood between her in Slade. "You didn't brainwash everybody!" the Muse said triumphantly. "My secret weapon stayed true to me!"

"You call this a hero?" Slade said contemptuously.

"Oh no. Don't tell me he works for you."

"Why would I want someone like this?" Slade hit the hero with his fists and with his cane. Ragnarok never fought back. Instead of blocking Slade's attacks, he held his hands in front of his face and looked away waiting for the worst. Slade knocked Ragnarok back so that he was in front of the Muse, helpless. "He's just as weak and slow as you," Slade sneered. "He has no power."

"Yes he does! He wouldn't be a hero otherwise!" She whispered to the hero, "You can do it, Ragnarok. I believe in you." Then she did something that she had never done before. Her Magic Hat glowed brilliantly, and Ragnarok reflected its splendor. She gave him her powers.

Ragnarok stood and looked up at Slade. He pointed at the villain, and fire issued from his finger tip. It quickly engulfed everything in the hideout. Slade looked all around in fear. He groaned. He reached for something on a table. The Muse recognized it. It was the same gadget she played with, and it was also the same thing that made the flash that started the whole thing. "Look out!" she screamed.

But Slade was not aiming the device at Ragnarok or the Muse. He was pointing it toward himself.

Ragnarok stepped in front of her and offered his hand. "No," she answered. "I can't get up. My foot's hurt. Can you carry me somehow?" Ragnarok tried. He couldn't lift her as easily as Slade did, but he was able to get her up and least keep her bad foot off the ground. "Wait!" She pointed to Slade. "Magic," she whispered. He was surrounded by a bubble and floated with them out the exit. As soon as they got out, she let it pop.

"Muse!" a voice said. Starfire and Raven were waiting for her outside.

"How did you guys know?" the Muse asked.

"I picked up on your mental clues, and I told her," Raven answered.

"We would have come in ourselves, but this young lad reached you first," Starfire said. "He saw Slade carrying you, and he followed you all the way here."

"He really wanted to help you, even when we explained the dangers he would undoubtably face. You have a devoted friend there."

"He, he actually talked to you?" the Muse asked.

"We had a mental conversation. Now, let me take a look at that foot." Raven reached down, and her hand glowed a dim blue. After a few seconds, the swelling went down, and all the pain disappeared.

"It's as good as new. Thank you, Raven. You're a real friend. Not like . . ." She looked over at Slade. The Titans walked toward him. "Just a moment," the Muse said. She walked over to him.

Slade's eye looked wearily at her. He said weakly, "Five minutes ago, you called me a monster. And yet, you saved my life? You are a foolish apprentice."

"No, I just have a better Master who gave me better advice, 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap coals of fire on his head.' I would not have you wait in the fire, Slade. That's what you would have done to me. Now, I think I need that thing in your hand so I can fix everything you broke."

"Wait," he answered. He held the device at arms length and flashed it. He groaned loudly. The device dropped to the Muse's feet. Slade's eye began to close, but before it disappeared completely, he whispered three words:

"You win again."

Raven and Starfire joined her. "I don't believe it," Raven remarked.

"You have defeated him!" Starfire said amazed.

"We never could, and you did it all by yourself."

"Well then, shall we see who is behind this mask?"

"No!" the Muse said as she stopped Starfire's hand. Then, she let go. "I mean, you guys can go ahead if you have too. I don't want to know anymore."

The Muse turned away. Starfire looked at her, confused. "Robin really deserves to do the unmasking anyway," Raven said to her.

"Truth," Starfire. "I suppose that for now, we must contact the others."

Precious walked over to Ragnarok, who was standing all by himself. "Thank you so much for everything, Ragnarok. You don't mind if I call you that, do you? I mean, do you have a better name picked out or anything?"

The hero looked at her and replied in a very soft voice, "Is good."

"Oh, you do talk!"

"Little," he said with a nod.

"Why didn't you talk before?"

"Did Muse read note?"

"I tried. I couldn't read it though. What were you trying to saying?"

He stammered, "W-w-want to be Muse . . . Muse . . ." He started kicking to the side.

"You want to be my sidekick?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "Muse in trouble, Ragnarok help."

"Sure, I'd be happy to have you on my team, but not as my sidekick, but as my superhero partner."

"No! Not good enough yet!"

"Yeah, you are. But we got to get you some real powers. Don't worry, I know people who can help with that. What powers do you want? You like fire power?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I used to fight a guy named Hotstreak. He had fire powers too. You want it to be like that?"

"No, not like Hotstreak! Ragnarok wants special fire! Righteous fire!"

"Righteous fire? That's going to be tough, but we'll see what we can do. So, when did you become a hero in the first place?"

"When the Muse started to work alone. The Muse was in trouble a lot. The Muse needed help. Ragnarok helped the Muse before, remember?"

"Wait a minute! Yeah, I know who you are! You're Eli, from the ARC, right?"

Ragnarok took off his helmet and his mask to reveal the boy with blond hair and deep blue eyes.

"I'm glad to see you again, Eli. I missed you. But how do you keep getting from Gotham to Metropolis so quickly?"

"Batman helped."

"Oh, that's awesome! I guess if Batman thinks you were superhero material, then you really are."

"Thank you. Eli needs to go home."

"OK. I'll see you later!" Ragnarok took his disguise back on and ran away.

All vital signs indicated that Slade was asleep, but he would not wake up. He was taken on a stretcher to Archam. The Muse went back with Starfire and Raven to Titan Tower. Raven worked with the Muse to re-modify all of the Titans' memories. Some of the Titans were still not thrilled to see her at first. Beast Boy was irritated after being cooped up in a little bubble for so long. The Muse freed him first thing, but he was still surly. "I got cramps everywhere!" he yelled.

"I'm really sorry, Beast Boy. What can I do to make it up to you?"

"Well, I guess there is one thing." Beast Boy turned into a rabbit. The Muse knelt down and petted his head for hours. "That felt so good," Beast Boy told her once he changed back

And Robin, even after he was reconciled for his untrustworthy behavior, was not very happy with the Muse. "I told you not to become Slade's apprentice! Why didn't you take my advice? Whatever happened to you was your own fault, and I hope you know it!" He stormed off. The Muse was sad.

"Do not let that ruin your evening, Muse," Starfire said gently. "Robin will feel sorry for this later. Why don't you dress into something less metal? Surely this outfit restricts you."

"Yeah. Wait! Oh, man!"

"What man? Where?"

"Nothing, I just realized I left my real costume in the fire. It's probably destroyed now."

"Never fear! You can wear one of my dresses from Tamaran! Surely I have something that will fit you."

Starfire found a dress that would look ridiculous on Earth. The Muse, who had absolutely no fashion sense, loved it. "I like the colors!"

"And it looks wondrous on you! You would surely attract any flooberwump who came your way."

"Well . . . thanks. I really needed a new outfit. The old one was getting pretty tight."

The Titans had a huge party that evening, and everybody elected to make the Muse the guest of honor. They had all sorts of food, regular and tofu. Cyborg played video game after video game with the Muse and let her win quite a few times. Beast Boy told jokes. The Muse put on lots of music and had a karaoke contest. Starfire recited Tamaranian poetry. Raven stayed out of the way.

After everybody was worn out, they called it a night. "It's late," Raven said to the Muse. "You wanna crash here for tonight? We'll work on restoring the memories of everybody in Dakota and Metropolis tomorrow."

"OK." They stopped in front of one room. Raven opened the door. "Is this . . . ?"

"Yeah, it's Terra's room."

"Well, I guess this is appropriate, to sleep where the traitor used to live."

"Don't think of it that way! We forgave Terra in the end, and we've forgiven you."

"Yeah, but still."

"This is the only room we got, and it's yours. If you still have a problem with it, come up to my room and we'll talk, alright?"

"OK. Goodnight." As soon as Raven closed the door and she was away, the Muse fell onto her new bed and cried. Then she heard a knock. "Come in," she said.

Robin walked in. "You ok?"

"Not really."

"Look, I'm not going to back off of what I said. You were foolish not to heed my advice. But what's done is done. Lesson learned. You're not going to get anywhere feeling sorry for yourself. So quit crying and beating yourself up for it. Alright, I guess I do owe you an apology for the way I treated you earlier today."

"I don't blame you."

"And really, we are all proud of you for beating Slade in the end. Nobody's really done that before. Maybe I had underestimated you a bit."

"Thank you, Robin, but I'm not really crying for myself. I'm crying for Slade."

"Why? He's not worth your tears."

"He told me how much he despised love. He must really be sad to get to that state."

"Well, you can feel sympathetic if you want. I'm never going to give Slade any pity. But I guess he can never say that you and he are alike." Robin began to walk out, but first he turned and shared a parting thought. "In fact, I think you're stronger than Slade ever could be."

Not too long after, Precious heard some very serious news regarding Slade. She went through several channels and red tape, but she was able to play her final card.

A guard lead her down the hall called Death Row to the final chamber. She saw a man laying on his side, his back turned from her.

"That is Slade?" she asked. "So, he is a man."

"Unfortunately, doll, most people would beg to differ with ya," the guard answered. He started to pound on the door of the cell, but Precious stopped him.

"No, don't disturb him. I don't want him to know I was here. Just give him this." She handed him a disposable casserole dish covered in foil with a card taped to it.

"Fine," the guard said and slid the dish into the cell. Then Precious turned away and walked out without looking back.

Slade got up just after they left. He picked up the package and unwrapped it. Inside was liver smothered in gravy. He opened the card. It simply read:

"I thought you might be lonely and hungry. You are not forgotten, The Muse."

In a voice that was not as cold and proud as it used to be, he asked out loud:

"Who?"

Next Episode: The Belated Birthday Present–After Raven's mysterious birthday, Raven decides to seek the Muse's help.


	15. InterludeA Belated Birthday Present

Interlude: A Belated Birthday Present

Note: OK, I'm doing this because I just had some thoughts regarding "Birthmark." I mean, Slade's back; I can't ignore this. I'm going to go into some of the details that I have been taught since I was little about my faith. You can take it or leave it. If it bothers you too much, don't read it. I hope it won't.

"Beep beep beep, bi-deep beep beep bi-dee!"

That cheery chime woke Precious up in the dead of night. She slipped off her sleep mask at looked at her alarm. 3:30 A.M.. So maybe it was early morning, but it still felt like dead of night.

"The Titans must really be in trouble if they're asking for me this early," she thought aloud. She groggily reached for the communicator on the bedside table as it beeped its theme song for the seventh time. She flipped open the screen as she yawned. "Raven?" she said in surprise.

"Muse," she answered. "I'm sorry that I'm waking you up so early. Meet me on the Daily Planet's roof in an hour. It's very important."

"Just you?"

Raven nodded. "Just me." Her voice cracked as though she was about to cry.

"Raven, are you ok?"

"No."

"Do you want me to get you some coffee?"

Raven paused. "Alright."

"How would you like me to fix it?"

"Black." She pushed something Precious couldn't see, and the screen went blank.

"Well, I'm not the only grouchy one this morning," Precious thought aloud again. She got into her costume, went downstairs and fixed a pot of coffee.

"Precious?" Claire said. "What are you doing up so early? The sun's not even up yet."

"Raven called me. She looked upset. I don't understand why. She can't feel any emotion."

"Upset in what way?"

"She was . . . sad."

"Is Raven the alien?"

"No, that's Starfire. She's a Tamaranian. Raven is . . . I'm not sure what Raven is."

"You know, maybe Raven just needs to hear the Good News. Take your Bible with you."

"Are you sure it'll help?"

"God's Word always cheers me up when I feel down. It reminds me that I'm loved. Just show Raven you care, and tell her that God loves her no matter what, ok?"

"Alright."

The Muse flew to the Daily Planet's roof carrying two insulated mugs of coffee in her hands and the Bible she was given when she was baptized in a side pocket. Raven was waiting for her. She was sitting on the roof, next to the globe. It surprised the Muse. She wasn't meditating, just looking down at the city below here.

"Morning, Raven," the Muse greeted.

"Thank you, but there's not much good about it."

"I didn't say 'good morning,' just 'morning.'"

"Yes, but the 'good' was implied."

"No, it wasn't. I know you're not having a good day. That's why I'm here. Oh, here's your coffee."

Raven took her bright pink mug and looked at it with a frown. "Thank you." She took a big gulp and then grimaced.

"What's wrong? I made it black like you like."

"I don't like it that way. This is the first time I tried it."

"Oh. Well, here. Try mine. I put lots of sugar and creamer in it, 'cause that's how I like it."

"No thanks." Raven sighed. "I asked for coffee because I heard that it's bitter. I need to drink the bitter cup."

"Alright, what's wrong?"

Raven took another sip, and after forcing down the gulp, she answered, "Yesterday was my birthday."

"Oh, happy belated birthday! I wish I knew. I would have sent you an e-card, or a present. But what would you like? You already gave me your favorite work–"

"Muse, I would return to sender everything you would have given me. I don't like birthdays."

"I know. That's why you were so down when I turned 13. But still, I need to show you a friendly gesture. I mean, you came to my party even though you didn't like parties."

"No, it's worse when it's my birthday. See . . . well, let me backtrack. I'll pull in a name that you will recognize–Slade."

"He's back?"

"Yes. He saw me yesterday. I mean, he saw all of us, but he wanted most of all to see me."

"But how can he be back? He's–"

"I know, but he's changed. The things he did . . . the things he said . . . the things he knew . . . if he was ever a man, he is no longer. He has sold his soul, I know it. He came to remind me exactly what I was trying to forget, the reason why I hate birthdays."

"OK, you're getting me confused. I don't follow logic the same way others do. Why don't you explain it to me straight forward?"

"Where should I start?"

"What did Slade know? What did he do? What did he say? What is the reason why you hate birthdays?"

"It's so complicated, and it involves secrets that I've kept from everybody. First of all, I'm not completely human. I'm . . . the daughter of Trigon."

"Trigon? Isn't he a–?"

"Demon, yes."

"Oh, my goodness."

"Yes indeed."

"So, that's the side that gets all the powers?"

"That's part of it."

"How did you become a good guy?"

"I'm good at heart, believe me. I've rebelled against my father since the day I was born, but on the day I was born, a prophecy was made."

"Do I want to know?"

"Well, you have to know. That's what I brought you here."

So Raven told her everything that Slade told her, everything that happened that horrible day. She only smiled when she explained how she stopped time. "I guess you could say I pulled a Muse."

The Muse laughed. "Well, I feel honored that you're using my tactics."

Yet as Raven explained the prophecy, the Muse listened with a troubled heart. "What does it mean?"

"The prophecy was made on the day of my birth. I am the portal who will bring Trigon back to Earth, so that he may rule."

"So, you're going to bring about the apocalypse?"

"Essentially, yes."

"That's impossible."

"You don't believe me?"

"Well, I do believe the world is going to be destroyed, but God's going to destroy it, not a half-demon."

"Maybe He's going to do it through me."

"But the prophecy says it's on your birthday. That way you know what day it is. But 'nobody knows the day or the hour, not man, nor the Son, nor the angels in Heaven, but only the Father knows.'"

"To be fair, I don't know what birthday it will be, but now that Slade's behind it, it's probably going to happen very soon, sooner than it's supposed to. Listen Muse, whenever it happens, I need your help. I want your help more than anyone else's."

"Why?"

"It's hard to explain. You know I can sense things. There is this sensation I can sense very strongly from people. I've only felt it in a very few. In fact, I think you're the only one I know personally that I felt it from. I felt it just recently too, just the last time we met. I don't even know that you know. A lot of people I know brag about it, and I know they're lying. I can't feel it from them."

"I don't understand. What is it?"

"You are . . . blessed . . . abundantly . . . by the HOLY ONE." She didn't scream the name exactly; she whispered it. Yet, it still felt like she screamed it.

Raven put her hand around the Muse. "It's hard to describe. It's alive, it's warm, it's healing, it's refreshing, it's powerful. And His hand rests on your left shoulder."

"Yeah. I feel it sometimes. I wasn't sure what it was, but I always liked to think . . . "

"My mother taught me that prophecies in my world is skewed. They always talk about mankind's doom, and they fail to mention mankind's redemption. They always portray their victory, and they don't mention God's salvation. You are one of His Elect. Maybe you can stop this. Maybe you can save me. Maybe you can save the world."

"Well, I feel honored that you came to me, but you're wrong. You don't need my help. You need the help of the One who gave me the blessing."

"It's too late. I can't–"

"Yes, you can! It's never too late. I know you believe the story. Just confess what you know, pray for forgiveness, and I'll take you to be baptized. You'll get the blessing yourself! You won't be a demon anymore–you'll be a new creature! You may not feel it, but you'll be changed. You'll have the Holy Spirit in you and everything."

"I could. I could, but it won't stop anything. Look at this." Raven rolled up her sleeve and pointed to a fading red mark. "I know Slade is right. It won't stop, no matter how much I run, no matter how much I sacrifice. That's why I must have your help. I think that you can face Trigon and stop him."

"I'm more concerned about you, Raven, your soul. You've been my friend. In fact, you've been like a big sister to me."

"I didn't know you felt that way."

"Well, you don't understand the impact of what you've shown me in the past. I want you to be ok."

"I want to be ok too, but I don't think I have a say. Whatever happens to me, you'll understand will you?"

"Of course. We'd all give ourselves up for each other, wouldn't we?"

"Yes."

"I'll do my best to help you when the time comes. Until then, I'll pray for you every night."

"That will greatly relieve my mind. Thank you." She gulped down the last swig and gave the Muse the cup back. "Well, I guess you can go back to bed."

"Raven, before you take off," the Muse reached into her pocket and pulled out her Bible. She held it out to Raven. "Happy birthday."

"Muse, I couldn't. This has sentimental value."

"I don't mind. I got several more at home. I know you told me that you don't like to think about places that don't exist, but this does exist. It's very real. Even if you don't want to read it, pass it onto Starfire. I don't think she even knows. Maybe Beast Boy will like it too, and everybody else. Please, take it. It's your sword."

Raven took it. "If you insist. Thank you."

Then Raven flew off. The Muse set off for her home. "Maybe it'll work." She flew off feeling carefree in heart. She had no idea what was going on beyond the surface.

In some place beyond human comprehension, an old foe came forth and knelt before a blazing S. (Actually, it looked like an S, but it was called the Mark of Scath.) "You sent for me?" he asked.

"Raven has a plan," a voice said from the fiery mark. "She is trying to escape her fate."

"She knows that she cannot. We told her already."

"Yes, but this might actually work. She has called on the help of the one person who has defeated you."

"But Terra has turned to stone."

"FOOL!" The mark blazed more fiercely. "I speak of the Muse!"

"The Muse? Forgive me, but I do not know this name."

"I know it does not sound familiar to you. You were ashamed that she defeated you not once but twice, and you drove her name from your memory. I will return her memory to you, but in the meantime, we will begin to end Raven's plan."

"What do you want me to do? Will we go after her?"

"Not yet, my servant. We will stop her by torturing one she loves. Look for one king acting as two."

Next Episode: The Prophet–Trigon and Slade choose one of the Muse's closest friends and give him a terrible and yet revealing gift. Can Raven stop their terror before it is too late, or will fate stop her?


	16. The Prophet

Episode 14: The Prophet

"How is he liking that chess set I got him?" Bruce asked.

"Well, he plays it every day," the caretaker answered.

"So, he's figured out all the rules?"

"Uh . . . yes, but there's a twist to it. Look."

A gangly teenager with wavy-blond hair came to a table and began setting out a chess game. "He always plays at 2:00, and he always plays by himself."

"Why? I thought he'd understand that it's a two-player game."

"He doesn't talk about it. He could, but he doesn't. And there's something else. I've watched him, and I noticed that black always wins, and it always wins the same way. I think he uses the same strategy every time."

Bruce watched the boy move a white pawn and then walk over to the other side and move a black pawn. "Maybe it's because when I played him the first time, I won. I always play black. You know, I could have checkmated him in five moves. He made a big mistake. But since I wanted to show him each piece's move, I let it slide." But as he watched, he realized that the same strategy was in motion. "Holy cow, he's memorized our game. That's what's going on. He must think that's the only way to play chess."

"He memorized every move? Remarkable."

"Excuse me." Just as the boy was making his fatal move on the white side, Bruce addressed him. "Hey Eli!"

The boy turned around. "Hello, Mr. Wayne."

"I'm glad to see that you're still playing our game. It's too bad you haven't found a friend to play it with."

"Is ok."

"You want me to play another round with you?"

Eli nodded.

"Great. Let's get set up."

Eli nodded again and turned back to the board. But then he squealed and backed away in terror. He fell to the floor.

The white king sat on the black side.

"Looks like somebody else around here knows how to play chess," Bruce remarked. "Did you happen to see who moved the piece?" he asked the caretaker.

"No, sir. I couldn't see."

Eli kept looking at the board in fear. How could that piece move? It wasn't supposed to move like that. It wasn't supposed to win yet. And then a hoarse, ominous voice out of nowhere hissed in his ear,

"Checkmate."

Eli screamed. He threw himself on the board and scattered pieces everywhere. He fell on the floor and continued howling and kicking, like a spoiled two-year-old. Bruce and the caretaker both had to hold him down. "Eli! Get a hold of yourself!" Bruce ordered.

Eli continued sobbing, but he stopped kicking. "I'm sorry," he said softly.

"What happened here?"

"Don't know."

"I think I'll take him home now," Bruce told the caretaker.

Eli was clearly agitated still. He squirmed in his seat on the way home. Bruce just talked to him gently. When they came in, a girl's voice yelled, "Dad! Eli's home!"

"I hear that honey!"

Eli went over to the aquarium in the living room and stared at his pet goldfish. Bruce went into the den and spoke with Mr. LeMaster. "He's had a hard day."

"Haven't we all, Mr. Wayne?" the man sneered.

They argued for a little while. Meanwhile, Eli was reaching for the fish food. Then all of the sudden, his wrist stiffened. He couldn't move his hand. His wrist hurt, and he heard a ringing in his ears. Then he got a strange thought. Wouldn't it be interesting if he put in dish detergent instead of fish food? The water would get all bubbly, and maybe the fish would be fooled and eat it. No, he can't do that. The fish he took care of for so long would die. Nevertheless, the feeling got worse. He started to take a step toward the kitchen–

"Hey. Taking care of Noah there?"

At Mr. Wayne's voice, the malicious feeling passed. Eli nodded and sprinkled the fish food on the water.

Mr. Wayne came closer and said quietly, "When you're feeling up to it, you know what to do. Our old friend will be ready."

"Yes," Eli said. He went up to his room.

Over the years, he had learned what calmed him down more than anything. He closed the door, left the light off, closed the blinds on his window, lit some candles, selected the quietest songs from his Beethoven CD, turned on a lava lamp, and sat down in front of it. He did this almost every day. His older sister's friends spread some pretty nasty rumors about his behavior, but Eli didn't care about them. Watching the oozing colors move gave his turbulent brain a break. He felt so calm and quiet. The music and the smells made him think and experience things. It made him happy.

Then in the middle of "Moonlight Sonata," the four loud, bold notes of the first movement from the fifth symphony shocked Eli out of his reverie. After he shook off the surprise, he got up to change the CD back. He knew that this CD was getting worn and sometimes it skipped and jumped around, but he didn't select that song in his play list. What was going on?

As he reached for the back button, his wrist stiffened again. This time, he could see why. A hand had grabbed his wrist, a very strange hand, a metal hand. But it was not cold and smooth like most metal. It was just hard, and painful.

"Sorry, kid," a deep, dark voice said. "I rather like this song."

Eli looked up and with a gasp, he pulled his wrist out of the metal hand's grip. He knew this man. He was the metal man with one eye that took the Muse away. But it couldn't be.

"Little known fact," the man said. "They say that when Beethoven wrote this song, he was depicting fate, in the form of lifelong deafness, knocking at his door." The man reached back and rapped the wall to the music. "Well, guess what? I'm knocking at your door."

Eli did not know what to say.

"I remember you, vaguely. As I understand it, you were the boy who ruined all of my fun. Ragnarok, right?"

"How'd you know?" Eli squeaked.

"I know."

"You can't be here. They told me you were put to sleep."

"I woke up."

"No, I'm saying that you were put to sleep the same way a dog is put to sleep."

"And I'm saying that I woke up!"

"You can't wake up! No dogs wake up when they're put to sleep!"

"But I'm not a dog. No, I'm so much more."

"What do you want with me?"

Before Slade could answer, someone pounded on the door. "Eli, you're talking to yourself again! Cut it out!" his sister said on the other side.

"Not talking to myself! Leave me alone!" Eli yelled back out.

"So, Eli's your name? Short for Elijah, I presume," Slade said.

Eli gasped and grabbed the knots on the side of Slade's head that looked like ears. "You didn't hear that!"

"Calm down, child," Slade said as he pulled him off. "I'm going to be spending a lot of time with you from now on. It was only a matter of time before I learned your real name. It's quite interesting, actually. I've come to give you an offer of a lifetime. How would you like to be like your namesake–a prophet?"

"No thanks. Prophets talk a lot. Don't like to talk."

"I'll tell you what to say. In fact, I'll show you."

"No, I don't want it."

"Son, there's one thing all prophets had in common. They did not have a choice." He twisted Eli's arm behind his back and whispered in his ear, "If you keep my words silent, you will waste away from the inside. Such a pain and unrest will come upon you, like fire in your soul. Prophecy is fate, Eli. You cannot escape it."

"No!" Eli got out of his hold and grabbed his helmet. "I took you down before. I can do it again." He didn't want to do this in his own house, but he saw no other choice. Fire shot out of his hands and surrounded the one-eyed man in a circle. Normally, his foes would cower in pain and fear before the flames could engulf them, and the Muse could capture them. Ragnarok was hoping that Slade would faint first, and then he could send for Batman to put him in jail. But Slade did not cry out. He walked calmly outside of the fiery circle.

"Impressive boy, but you're not the only one with divine fire." He waved his hand, and all of the fire was gathered into his fist. Eli looked out from under his helmet, and his eyes grew wide. "Relax," Slade said as he made the fire disappear. "I'm not here to destroy you . . . yet."

Ragnarok reached for a signaling device. In just a few seconds, he'd have much needed help to get rid of this menace.

"Calling Robin's old man will do you no good, boy," Slade said darkly. "You know, it's usually in my nature to play games, keep secrets, give subtle hints, but in this case I have specific instructions to be direct. Eli, I'm in the one where no one can stop me, especially you." He made Ragnarok put down the signaling device and whispered in his ear, "I'm in your mind, Eli."

"Then you're not real!"

"On the contrary, son. As I understand it, I am more real to you than reality. And the things I have to show you are very real. They will come to pass, and you will speak of them."

"No, no I won't! You can't make me!"

"You have no idea what I can do."

Eli threw his helmet at Slade, and he was gone. Eli sighed, put the helmet back in its hiding place in the closet, and threw himself down on his bed. "Glad that is over," he thought aloud. He half expected a voice out of the corner of his mind to whisper, "No, it's just beginning," but it didn't happen. He still didn't feel calm enough in his heart to call Batman so that they could go to Metropolis and help the Muse. So he turned down his music and tried to nap until it was time for supper.

He could smell what was cooking on his way down. It was one of his absolute favorite meals–spaghetti. His mother gave him a big plate, and he sat down and got a bit fork-full. Then he dropped his fork in shock. Wrapped around the prongs of the fork were not noodles, meat, and tomato sauce. They were live worms. Eli looked at his plate, and there were more worms and maggots squirming and squiggling all over his plate. "No!" Eli gasped.

"Eli, what's the matter?" his mother asked.

"Can be excused?" he said.

"You know the rule, son," his father answered. "You can't leave the table until you eat one big bite."

"No!" Eli squealed.

"Why won't you eat?" Mother said. "You love spaghetti."

Eli could only squeal again.

"Come on, boy, one bite," the father said. Eli shook his head furiously. The father jumped out of his chair, grabbed the fork with the worms still around it, pried the boy's mouth open, and despite all of Eli's screaming, kicking, and squirming, forced the fork into the boy's mouth. Eli could feel the worms wiggle in his mouth, so slimy and disgusting. He never felt more sick in his life. "Now go!" his father ordered.

Eli ran up to the bathroom and spat the worms out of his mouth. He took several deep breaths and went back into his room.

"What's wrong? Lose your appetite?" a voice said in the darkness.

Eli turned on his desk lamp, and there was Slade again. "I thought you were gone!"

"Silly boy. I'm in your mind. I'm never going to leave you. You may forget that I'm here, but that doesn't mean I'm not with you. So, what did you think of the delicacy I made you?"

"That was you?"

"Of course it was! And you might want to get used to it for a while. My job is not only to show you what will soon come to pass but also to make your life a living nightmare."

"Why?"

"I have my orders. And now I believe it's time to show you the first vision."

"But I don't want it!"

Slade didn't listen. He approached Eli and touched him on the forehead. Eli screamed. He felt as though he was being branded. A strange mark appeared on his head. When the pain went away, he saw a sky of blood red. Buildings were crumbling into ruins. He saw statues everywhere, and as he looked closer he recognized his colleagues: Starfire, Robin, Beast Boy, Cyborg, Batman, Static, and Gear. They all had such frightened faces.

"It's just like Pompeii," Eli whispered. "But why? What happened?"

Slade gestured to a figure in the distance. It was a woman with long hair, stretching her hands over the devastation and screaming. Eli could not tell who it was or why she was doing this. Slade came closer to him and whispered, "What she has concealed, she will become."

Eli felt as though he lost control of his own mouth as he repeated, "What she has concealed, she will become." Then he looked at Slade and said, "But who is she? Why?"

"She has no other choice."

"She has no other choice."

Suddenly, the woman disappeared in a flash of light, and the vision ended. Slade was gone again. Eli sighed. He threw himself down on his bed. He wanted to sleep so badly, but his stomach was empty, and as much as he wanted to stop thinking about what he had just seen, he could not. What had happened? Who was it that caused it? What happened to her, or it? Perhaps in future prophecies more will be revealed. "No," he thought, "don't think that! I don't want this awful gift, and I want it to go away! Maybe it won't last long."

But it didn't go away. For weeks afterwards, he saw the same scene in his mind every time he closed his eyes. He couldn't sleep. He could barely eat. Everything turned into something disgusting. All he could eat was salsa and tortilla chips. Salsa was much too hot, but it was something. He ate it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Everybody thought it was odd.

Slade made an appearance at the most inconvenient times. One day Eli was setting up a chessboard for another game, and Slade was there at his side. "Now, Eli."

"No, I have to concentrate."

"Now, why are you even trying? You're just going to lose again."

"No, I'm going to win again."

Slade grabbed Eli's head and started pushing hard on him. It hurt! Eli screamed. "I will not be ignored!" Slade said over his screams. Then Slade touched the brand on Eli's head. Eli screamed again and once more saw the dreadful vision.

Meanwhile, Bruce and the caretaker were watching him. "He's been going into these fits a lot now," the caretaker explained. "We can't find a way to reach him when they happen. We're wondering if he has experienced something traumatic."

"Let me try talking to him." Bruce came closer to the boy. "Hey, Eli. It's me. Everything's ok."

But Eli thrashed about moaning. Then he looked Bruce dead in the eye and said, "Skies will burn. Flesh will become stone. The sun will set on this world never to rise again!"

"Eli, no. This is just a dream. It's not going to happen. You're safe."

But he said even louder, "What she has concealed, she will become! She has no other choice! The portal must be opened!" And he pulled free from Bruce's hold and ran to the other side of the room.

"See, that's another thing," the caretaker said. "He talks like Armageddon is tomorrow. In fact, it seems like the end of the world is all on that boy's mind. Look at these pictures he's been coloring." He handed Bruce a stack of paper. Each picture showed burning buildings, terrified statues, and bleeding skies.

"Has he given any kind of indication of where this behavior came from?" Bruce asked.

"None whatsoever. We think his autism is developing into a form of schizophrenia."

"Hmm. You know, I just remembered. I have a meeting scheduled with an old friend this afternoon. Please keep me posted."

"Absolutely Mr. Wayne."

Later, Eli was by himself in his room. He was near the boiling point. Slade made him yell at his friend, Bruce Wayne. He just about had all he could take. Then, there was a knock on his window. Eli opened it up to see Batman sitting on the roof. "I haven't called for you," Eli said.

"That's the problem. You haven't called for me for weeks. I'm worried about you, and I'm sure the Muse is worried about you too. What's going on?"

"Not ready," he answered.

"I think it's more than that. I've heard that you've been psychologically distressed. What's wrong?"

"Don't want to know."

"Yes, Eli, I do want to know. I'm your friend, and I'm concerned."

"I–" But then a heavy hand pressed against his mouth. To Batman, it looked as though Eli was trying to talk to him without opening his mouth, but Eli felt like he was being gagged.

"Telling him would be a release for you, wouldn't it my prophet?" Slade said in Eli's ear. "Well, we can't have that."

"Eli, what are you doing?" Batman said. "I want to help you, but you have to cooperate!"

"Batman!" Eli tried to yell. "The metal man is making me see things! Help me!" But nothing was coming out.

"Poor boy," Slade said. "Perhaps if your mind was somewhere else, you'll feel better."

"NO!" Eli screamed, but once again he was powerless. Slade touched his forehead, but this time the vision changed. He was in darkness, not in the destroyed world. Suddenly, men made out of fire came out of the ground. They surrounded Eli in a circle, and they danced around him. They had clothes, and they put them on him–a crown, a robe, a scepter, a golden chain, a scroll. Then one put something in the boy's hand that burned like a coal straight from the fireplace. Eli very slowly opened up his hand to see what he had been given.

It was a key.

And something about the key made him more frightened than ever. He screamed and dropped it. The vision faded away.

"That's it!" Eli yelled. "Get away from me! I've had enough!" He grabbed his helmet and his golden cape. He didn't think of getting the rubber mask he usually put under the helmet. He put them on very quickly, looked straight at Slade and said, "Stay away from me!" Then he ran out of his house. There was only one person who could help him, only one place to go–Titan Tower.

Finally, he made it and pounded on the door. He leaned against the doorway and gasped for air until Robin answered the door. "Ragnarok?"

Ragnarok was too winded to answer, so he nodded.

"Are you ok?"

Cyborg ran up and held Ragnarok's wrist. He was taking the boy's pulse. "You need to lie down, kid. You're dehydrated." He picked Ragnarok up and put him on the sofa. It felt so good to lie down. "Here man," Cyborg said as he handed him a paper cup of a sport drink. "Drink as much as you need. It will replenish what you lost."

"Thank you," Ragnarok gasped. He lifted his helmet high enough to reveal his mouth so that he can drink. He smiled. It was his favorite flavor, fruit punch.

"Dude! Did you run the whole way here?" Beast Boy asked.

"Most of it," Ragnarok answered.

"Oh, truly I fear the worst for our friend the Muse!" Starfire cried.

Ragnarok shook his head.

"So the Muse is ok?" Robin asked.

Ragnarok nodded.

"Then what brings you here, man?" Cyborg asked.

"Raven," Ragnarok said still between gasps of air.

"Raven is in her room meditating," Starfire answered.

"Need . . . see . . . Raven."

"We'll get her when she's done," Robin said.

"No! Can't wait."

"Dude, you don't want to go up to her room," Beast Boy said shaking his head. "She really doesn't like visitors."

"And you need to rest," Cyborg asserted.

"I must . . . see . . . Raven . . . now!" Just then, his wrist stiffened again. His ears rang. "No! No! Go away! Leave me alone!" His wrist jerked and splashed the liquid all over his face, but now it wasn't fruit punch flavored Gatorade. It was suddenly thick and salty. He spat out what he had left in his mouth, and he coughed and continued to scream.

"What's going on?" Robin asked.

"He thinks it is blood," Raven's voice said. Everyone turned to see her standing in the doorway to the corridor. She levitated silently to the sofa. "Well, what are you waiting for, Ragnarok? I know you want to see me."

"Raven, he ran the whole way here from Metropolis, or Gotham City, or somewhere," Cyborg retorted. "The wind's been completely knocked out of him."

"Fine." She pointed at him and whispered, "Azerath, Metrion, Zinthos!" Ragnarok was surrounded by black energy, and he floated behind her.

"Robin?" Starfire said timidly. "Did you see what I saw?"

"What did you see, Starfire?" Robin asked.

"It may have been a trick of the light, but just before Ragnarok spilled the power juice, I thought I saw . . . the Mark of Scath."

"No," Beast Boy whispered.

"I hope you're wrong," Robin whispered.

Raven used her powers to put Ragnarok on her bed. "Raven . . . help me," he gasped.

"It will be better for you if you don't talk," Raven said. "Concentrate on what you need."

"OK," Ragnarok thought. "I think I talk better when I think anyway."

"Yes. Now, what do you need me to do?"

"The Muse has told me about you, and you're the only person I know who can help. I think I have a demon in me."

"Sorry. I'm not an exorcist. Demons can't really cast out demons."

"But can't you at least tell him to leave me alone? He won't let me eat. He won't let me sleep. He won't let me play. He won't let me use my powers. He keeps making me think all sorts of horrible things. And he won't leave me alone! You know what's in my mind. You can stop him!"

"No, I can't. Your mind is much like the Muse's. I know it's strong and turbulent. I can feel the wind and waves of madness, but I can't stop the storm."

"Please. You saw what he did to that drink."

"It didn't really become blood. I don't know why you thought that, just that you did."

"It dried on my mask. It stuck to my tongue. I can still taste it!"

"It's still Gatorade. Whatever made you think it was blood tricked you."

"You see what I'm dealing with? I know you can do something. You and the Muse are the only ones I didn't see, and I can't risk seeing the Muse. I might hurt her."

"What do you mean, 'didn't see?'"

"He says I'm a prophet, and he makes me see visions, terrible visions. Everyone is in them, except you."

Raven came closer to him, a fearful look on her face. "What kind of visions?"

"The sky is blood red. All the buildings are gravel. All the Titans have turned to stone. And there's a gigantic monster and a woman screaming in the distance."

"How do you know of these things?"

"He makes me see them."

"Who?"

"The metal man, the man with one eye who took the Muse away."

Raven's eyes grew wide. "No," she whispered. But then she called upon her emotional control and approached the boy. "Perhaps I should see into your mind. I want to see these visions for myself. Then I will try to erase them."

"Thank you."

"I need you to take off your mask. I know this isn't comfortable, but I must look into your eyes." Ragnarok slipped off his mask. Raven approached him, put her hands on his temples, and whispered, "Azerath, Metrion, Zinthos. Azer–"

Suddenly, Ragnarok saw the Armageddon sky. As Raven continued to chant, he saw flashes of the visions. They kept focusing the mysterious figure in the distance. He saw her clearer than before, her long hair, her black clothes, the red brands glowing all over her. He saw her vanish in a bright light, but before she did, he recognized her pointed noise and the tone of her anguished voice.

"IT'S YOU!"

Ragnarok jumped up from the bed and looked at Raven in fury. "It's you! You started it!"

"Ragnarok–"

"You! You cause all this to happen! I thought you were good! I thought you would help me!"

"I am good, and I am trying to help you! If you will only relax–"

"Relax? For the demon who will destroy the world?" He put his helmet on, pointed at Raven, and sent a jet of fire to surround her. Raven only looked down at it casually then stared the boy down

"How do you know this?"

The Mark of Scath blazed on Eli's forehead. Raven gasped in terror, but once again regained her composure. Then Eli answered in a voice that was almost not his own. "What you have concealed, you will become. You have no other choice. The portal will be opened. Raven is the portal. Ragnarok is the key. And Trigon the cursed, the mighty is the prisoner standing on the other side."

Then a familiar shadow passed over Eli's shoulder. "Surprise," the shadow said in an eerie sing-songy voice.

"Slade," Raven whispered. Her stare turned to him. "What have you done to this boy?"

"What have I done? I believe the question, my dear birthday girl, is what have YOU done."

"What are you talking about?"

"You know very well what I'm talking about. You are still running from your fate. I know just as well as you do that you asked for help to stop you from fulfilling your destiny. Did you not stop to think that your futile decision would lead to dire consequences?"

"The consequences will be your own, Slade. My father will hate the day the prophecy was made once we're finished."

"I don't think you understand me, young lady. This boy is a friend of the Muse's, is he not? In fact, I believe they are quite fond of each other. The boy, I can tell, is crazy about her. Well, since you've called upon your friend, your father and I returned the favor. We gave the boy a tremendous gift."

Raven gasped. "You did not."

"Yes. He's seen wondrous things no mortal has seen before and no mortal will see again."

"I didn't want it!" Eli yelled at her. "Make him take it back!"

"I cannot," Raven answered. "You've accepted it, and there's nothing I can do."

"So, you remember the law of your land," Slade sneered. "Reluctant though he was to take the gift I gave him freely, he did not refuse it."

"That's a lie!" Eli yelled, but Slade ignored him.

"And I believe you still remember the other corollary of this law."

Raven sighed. "Every gift is given with a curse, ten times more grievous and powerful."

"I know the curse," Eli said. "He's been horrible to me. He won't let me enjoy life! He–"

"Oh, no, the curse is a lot more fun than that," Slade said. "What you're experiencing is just an appetizer."

"What is the other side of his gift?" Raven said.

"I have said that he is the first, the only mortal that has seen the calamity that will befall the earth. And he will also be the first to die."

"No!" Eli gasped.

"Yes," Slade hissed. As he spoke, Eli felt his lips move, as if Slade was borrowing Eli's mouth to talk. "And do you know how, Raven? You will continue to resist your fate to the last second. You will try to lock yourself away under the protection of technology and holy symbols. But this boy, this prophet, will come forth with the key. He will have secret knowledge that will set you free from your prison and your father's. He will carry forth your fate. He will be the first thing your father will see. Your father will see the Mark of Scath, and he will use this boy to return to earthly strength. You see, Raven? This boy is your first birthday present. This is what you get when you conspire against destiny. Your champion will lose her most dear friend."

"No! NO!" Eli screamed. "I can't do it! I won't do it!"

"This doesn't have to be your fate, Ragnarok!" Raven said.

"Oh, but you don't have a say, Daughter of Trigon! You don't have control!" Slade put his hands on Ragnarok's shoulders and whispered in his ear again, "Light up son, as if you had a choice!"

Ragnarok's fingers did indeed blaze with righteous fire, but he did not hurl it toward Raven as Slade wanted him to. He threw it instead at Slade. At first, he regretted the decision. He thought that Slade would control the fire, as he did the first time. But something different happened this time. Slade was not prepared and was hit. He fell back in slow motion. Eli felt like he was being pulled into a surreal world, that limbo place he often found himself between reality and the distorted images in his mind. He and Slade were free-falling. He felt dizzy, but the anger and fear still burned inside of him.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded. His voice echoed forever.

"Why didn't I tell you? My dear Eli, I thought you realized it," Slade replied cooly.

"Realized it? What are you talking about?"

"Don't you understand? Don't you know what your name means?"

"It means 'My God is Yah–'"

"No boy, your name, Ragnarok. It means destruction of heaven, fate of the gods. It refers to a Viking myth of the day that a great war occurred against the gods. It is that fire that burned down the halls of Valhalla that rests in your hands."

"No one ever told me what that meant. You're lying."

"My dear boy, I have told you nothing but the truth. Face it, Ragnarok. Your very name is Doom!"

The news weighed heavy on Eli's conscience. He was going to somehow open the portal and begin the destruction of the world. All the awful things he saw, he was going to start them. But then, but then–?

He grabbed Slade and held his arms as tightly as he could. "What will happen to HER?"

"Who?"

"You know, the only one I haven't seen. I've seen everyone, but I haven't seen her. If you are going to kill me, at least show me her fate!"

"Do you want to see it?"

"I have a right to see what will become of her! I AM A PROPHET!"

"It is not a good vision. What you will see will frighten you to the marrow. You will see it every second when you blink. It will haunt you to your dying day."

"I don't care! Show it to me!"

Slade reached out from space and one more time touched Eli's forehead. It still stung, but Eli did not scream. He found himself in the familiar scene of the world in its last moments–the red sky, the broken buildings, everything. But something was different. Someone was moving through the petrified heroes. It was the Muse, and she looked lovelier than ever. She seemed to glow with a Heavenly light. Her hair cascaded like fire, and she cried rainbows. Around her neck hung a dazzling jewel, but it was not her pendant.

She came to an altar, and lying upon the altar was Ragnarok's marked, bloody, and broken body. The Muse fell upon him and wept. It filled Ragnarok with such despair to see her wings shudder with her crying. Suddenly, a shadow fell upon her. A great beast, a monster Ragnarok only saw in the distance in his vision, stood above her. He was red, with four, glowing, red eyes, a crown made of two antlers, and flowing, white hair. "I have been waiting for you, Muse," he said in a voice that sounded like thunder.

"Yes," she answered. "You are the one Raven wanted me to fight. But why did you take him?"

"He was a necessary sacrifice."

"Was he? I pity you. Everything is a necessary sacrifice, isn't it?" Her jewel began to glow.

"I am the one who pities you," he answered, and he created a column of fire. But he did not throw it at her. He used it to consume the gift on the altar.

The Muse screamed, "NOOOOOOOOOOOO! EEEEEEEEEEEELIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"

And she jumped into the flames.

"Muse!" Eli yelled. "Don't!" And Trigon's laughter was all around him.

"Azerath, Metrion, ZINTHOS!"

Suddenly, the whole scene disappeared. Eli was sitting on Raven's bed, and she pulled away her hands from his temples. "It's over. He's gone."

"For good?" he asked.

"His presence is no longer in you. Look, Ragnarok, I don't want you to listen to a word that madman said to you."

"But, but it was true, wasn't it? You, of all people, would know."

Raven looked away.

"Raven, please tell me. Was it true? Was it a real prophecy?"

"It was prophecy, but it was not your prophecy. You uttered words that were many years old. But not all of it was that prophecy."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you truly know why Slade hesitated when you asked him about the Muse? He hesitated because he did not know. What you just saw was completely fabricated. It was created by Slade to frighten you in the way he said."

"That is a relief. So how much is true and how much did Slade fabricate?"

"As I said, don't remember a thing. That's the best for you."

"What if he comes back? Will he come back?"

"He might, but he can't dominate you anymore. You realized what you did, didn't you? When you struck him, for one moment, Slade was pulled into your world except him pulling you into my father's."

"But he did keep in control. He didn't lose his cool."

"You don't realize it, but I believe you scared him. That's one thing you must remember. My father has no power over you. You're not his prophet. You are stronger than that. Remember."

"I'll try my best. Thank you very much, Raven. I knew you were the right person to help me." He started to get up.

"Wait a minute. One more thing." Her hands glowed a dull blue, and she touched his heart.

Five minutes later, she and Ragnarok walked down. "Robin," Raven said, "I need you to call your guardian and tell him to take Ragnarok home."

"But what does he have to do with–?"

"More than you realize. He knows the boy well. As for me, I need to do some deep meditation. Please, do not interrupt me. I'll be doing something very difficult, and it may take several hours."

"Um . . . ok."

She started heading back to her room, but then Cyborg called, "Yo Raven, what did the kid want?"

"And why did he bear the Mark of Scath?" Starfire asked. "Is he in danger?"

Beast Boy added, "Yeah, and why did you let him into your room when you won't–?"

Raven looked back at the Titans sternly. "That's between Ragnarok and me." Without a word, she levitated back to her room.

Next Episode: In the End–The Muse and Ragnarok join the fight against Trigon and meet what fate really has in store for them.

Lt. Commander Richie: Thanks for your comments. I would have had Starfire give Precious a thraknar, but I wrote that episode before "Birthmark" was released. I had an idea that Starfire probably had some kind of Tamarian birthday custom, but I didn't know what it would be.


	17. In the End

Episode 15: In the End

Note: This is based on the three-parter "The End." Yeah, I know it's a long chapter, but it was a long episode! It's probably rather weird, but writing it was a release for me, after theses and whatnot.

As the title suggests, this is how the episodes would be if my heroes were part of them.

When Raven woke and saw the red marks all over her, the first person she thought of was the Muse.

Despite Slade's threats, she still thought the Muse would save the world from Trigon's destruction. She had been reading the book that the Muse gave her. It was so dense! She'd thought she'd never get out of Leviticus. But it was interesting, all those laws the Holy One required of His people. One verse was her mind. She turned to it just to make sure she had it right, "Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear a grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the LORD." She did love the Titans as friends, almost as brothers and sisters. It was so hard to express when you weren't allowed to have emotions! Perhaps today should be different. She reached over, picked up her communicator, and pushed the button that signaled the Muse's device.

Back in Dakota, the cheerful Teen Titans music woke Precious up again. This time, though, it wasn't so early. It was just now 6:00. She fumbled around until she picked up the round communicator. "Hey Raven," she said.

"Good morning Muse."

"Is everything ok?"

"It's a nice day. Muse, I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your friendship. I keep thinking about how you said you considered me a big sister. I know it's hard for you to tell, but it really means a lot to me."

"Wow. I never thought you'd say that to me Raven."

"Why don't you come over to Titan Tower? I'd like to spend the day with you."

"Alright. Can I bring along Static and Gear?"

"Absolutely. I'd like to get to know them better."

"OK. We'll be over in a few hours. Thanks for inviting us."

"You're welcome." Raven snapped shut her communicator. Then somebody knocked. Raven knew who it was before she opened the door.

"Don't worry," he thought to her. "I didn't run all the way here like last time. I got a friend to take me here."

"Ragnarok, why are you here?" she said.

"I had nightmares all night. I remembered how you helped me last time, and I was hoping that you would know what to do."

"Come down stairs, quietly. I think everybody else is asleep." She led him down to the kitchen, where she started brewing herbal tea. "This tea will quiet your sorrow and calm your fears," she explained.

"Today's the day," Ragnarok said aloud.

She turned back to him, stunned. "How do you know?"

"I'm a prophet, remember? I know you told me to forget, but I can't forget it all. I try. I really do. That's what all the nightmares were about, you see."

"I was afraid of that." She handed him a mug of steaming tea. "You can fix it however you want, but don't put in too much sugar. It will make you nervous."

"OK." Ragnarok stared at his reflection in the cloudy surface of the tea. He took a sip, then added a few spoonfuls of sugar to it.

"Listen, today is going to be a good day. I want it to be perfect for all of my friends. Why don't you stay down here, and we'll all have fun together?"

"No!" Ragnarok slammed down his mug. "I don't wanna have fun! I don't wanna enjoy myself! Do something to me that will keep me from doing it! Chain me up! Lock me away! Put me into a deep sleep so that I won't wake until it's over! I don't want to do it! I don't want to make you destroy the world! I don't want to die!" He started crying.

"Drink the tea," Raven said in a flat voice. Ragnarok nodded and drank, but he was still crying. Raven didn't say anything else until he was done. "Follow me."

She led him up the stairs and around the corner, then opened a door. "This is your room again."

"Exactly." She went in and approached a small table. "I can do all that you ask, but it will not make a bit of difference. With or without you, the prophecy will be fulfilled. But you don't have to be a part of it. The Muse is coming today."

"She is?"

"Yes, I just invited her. I know about your feelings for her. Why don't you take her to the pier this afternoon?"

"The pier?"

"Yes. It's a carnival down there. Do you like carnivals?"

"Yes, they're fun. But if I'm down there–"

"I want you to go."

"Why?"

She opened a drawer in the table and pulled out a jewelry box. "So that you can give her this."

"What is it?"

"I made a very difficult trip to get this for her. I had an out-of-body experience, which I don't do often. It was the only way to keep it secret, so that my father would not know what I was doing. I nearly was not allowed to get it and take it back here, but I managed. It will give her powers that she has used only once before. She'll know what it is."

He looked at it. "No, I don't think so. I like the Muse, but I'm not ready to give her something so . . . special."

"If you don't feel comfortable giving it to her, just say that it's a birthday gift from an old friend." Ragnarok hesitated, but he took the box and put it in his pocket. "Make sure she gets it," Raven sternly ordered. Ragnarok nodded. Raven looked out the window again and smiled. "At least the Holy One blessed us with a beautiful day."

Ragnarok looked out the window too. "It's raining," he said aloud.

"Mom, I'm driving Precious out of town. She has something she wants to show me," Richie said.

"Alright, Honey, be safe," Mrs. Foley answered.

"I'll take my cell with me." He gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "I love you, Mom."

"Love you too, son."

"Bye Aunt Maggie!" Precious called and waved as she and Richie were leaving. She got into Richie's car. They drove to the gas station and parked in the back. There they got changed, met up with Static, and started flying toward Titan Tower.

"So, what's going down, Muse?" Static asked.

"I don't know," she answered. "Raven wasn't really clear on why she was inviting us. I don't feel right about all of this. I mean, I feel good, but it's also like . . . well, like Mommy would say, it's like somebody walked over my grave. Of course, that's not possible, is it? I'm not dead, so I don't have a grave for anybody to walk over."

"It's a figure of speech," Gear said. "It's like an uncomfortable sensation out of nowhere. But why would you feel like that?"

"I don't know. I guess I feel like something's going to happen, something bad. It's not that I don't trust Raven, but when we were talking, she was smiling really big. That's not like her style at all." She flew down and sat on a park bench. The others joined her. "Listen guys, there's something I need to tell you about Raven."

"What's up?" Static asked.

"Well you see, the last time she called me, she had some unusual news. She called me just to talk alone. It was odd. But she said that she–"

Just then, Backpack went off. "Muse, can this wait? We got a Metahuman heading this way."

"A Metahuman? All the way out here?"

Just then there was a roar. A thing that looked like a dozen blackheads came running toward them. It picked up a biohazard truck and gulped down its contents.

"Man, that is so bad for your complexion!" Static yelled. He leapt into action.

"What do you say we pop that pimple, Muse?" Gear said.

"You know, that only makes it worse," she said.

"Doesn't stop you from doing it."

"True. Let's go!"

"You know, my sister used electrolysis to make her acne go away," Static said. "I didn't see much results, but maybe you'll fare better." He struck the beast with a large electronic blast. The thing exploded, but then the goop got together and reformed its frame. Static was covered in the red, clay-like stuff. "Ewwwe, pus," he moaned. "Do we have any baking soda zap caps, Gear?"

"I'll check," Gear answered.

"Look! Here comes backup!" the Muse yelled. The Teen Titans were coming up fast.

"Alright, give it up for the home team!" Static cheered.

"Plasmas!" the Muse heard Raven say relieved. "It's just Plasmas!"

"Hey Raven!" the Muse called.

"Oh, good you made it!" Raven said with a wave. "Hey, look who else I brought."

Bringing up the rear, running as fast as he could, was a masked boy in a cape.

"RAGNAROK!" the Muse cried overjoyed. He waved back.

"Titans, go!" Robin ordered. They attacked Plasmas, but the monster beat Robin back. Raven caught Robin with her powers and set him down safely. "Thanks Raven, I owe you one," he said.

"Yeah, ok," Raven replied.

Cyborg picked up a whole building and hit Plasmas with it. The beast hit the pavement and exploded. The heroes looked down and saw a young man lying in the red slime.

"That must be why you read him as a metahuman," Muse said to Gear.

"Shh!" all the Titans hissed at her, but it was too late. The young man opened his eyes and turned back into the monster.

Cyborg hit it with a sonic cannon, but Plasma exploded again. This time, the slime swarmed around him. Starfire flew into the beast and came out with she and Cyborg covered in snot. Plasmas exploded out at them, but Raven protected Cyborg with an invisible wall. Plasmas then slithered over to the biohazard truck and split it open. Beast Boy had changed into a crow and was charging at the monster. Plasmas grabbed Beast Boy and sneezed on him. Beast Boy change back and said, "Ewwe! There's only one thing worse than goo."

"Sneeze goo," Raven finished his thought.

"Come on, Ragnarok," Muse said. "Let's bake him!"

Ragnarok pointed at the monster, and a wall of fired surrounded Plasmas. It was clearly uncomfortable for the beast. He was boiling! He kept going around as though he were looking for a way to escape but couldn't find it.

"Hey, if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen!" She created a bubble around him, but Plasmas was still sloshing around.

"That's only going to hold him back for so long," Raven said. "Leave this to me." She approached the monster. " Azerath, Metrion, Zinthos!" A black spirit came out of her and flew into Plasmas, and it exploded!

The Muse alone applauded as Raven flew down. Most everybody was staring at her. Raven just smiled, wiped the slime off her hood, and said, "Anyone up for pizza? I'm buying."

"Sounds good, home girl," Static said, "just as long as it's not pepperoni. I'm kinda sick of Zitface."

The pizza went by really quickly. When there was only one piece left, everybody reached for it. All the Titans got into an argument for who deserved it most. Static and Gear satisfied the argument by getting up to order another pizza.

"That was a cool trick you played with that monster back there," the Muse said to Raven.

"Thanks. It's really hard, and I just recently mastered it."

"Hey, have you been reading–?"

"Yeah, and I really like it. It's very interesting. I'm in the Psalms now."

"Wait, you're still in the Old Testament?"

"That's right. It's really dense. It takes me a while to get through."

"Well, wait till you get to the New Testament. That where it really gets interesting."

"OK. I can't wait." She looked like she meant it.

The Muse lowered her voice and said, "You think you'll be ready when the time comes?"

Raven paused and looked away for a moment, but then she looked straight at the Muse and said, "Yes, I do."

"OK, good." She looked over at Ragnarok, who was sitting in a corner a seat away from everyone. He looked lonely there, so she got up and sat next to him. "Hey, Ragnarok."

"Hey." Nobody noticed Raven's eyes glow for a second, but Ragnarok sensed it. "Hey, Muse, um, I was just thinking about that concert you let me go to last year."

"Yeah, it was crazy wasn't it? I still think about it, too."

"We don't do things like that much anymore, do we?"

"No, we don't," the Muse answered sadly.

"So I was just wondering if you would like to go to the pier this afternoon?"

"The pier?"

"Yeah, it's like a carnival. You like carnivals, don't you?"

"Sure, I love carnivals! That sounds like fun! I'll ask Raven about it if we all can go."

"Uh, actually, I was hoping that it would just be you and me."

"What? You mean, like a date?"

"Guess so."

"I don't know. I mean, it's a sweet gesture and all, but it would be kinda rude, wouldn't it? I mean, Raven invited us all down here, and if we go out and do our own thing, it's like we're shunning her hospitality. See, I got in trouble once when . . . "

Ragnarok looked over at Raven for a moment, and she nodded. "Well, it was Raven's idea."

"It was!" The Muse looked over at Raven, who just smiled back. "Um, ok, sure, let's go."

"Alright, I think it opens in an hour. So when we're done here, we can head over."

"Here it comes!" Static said as he came back with a box. "One large pizza, extra cheese! Dig in, mez amis!"

"Hey Gear," The Muse said as he sat down, "Ragnarok just asked me out on a date!"

"No kidding?"

"No! We're going to the pier in an hour!"

"Well then, somebody's got to chaperone, and I guess that's me."

"Chaperone?" Static said. "Bro, their 16!"

"Yeah, but mentally they're 12 or 13."

"We'll be fine," the Muse said. "We're just going to have carnival fun. We're not going to do anything else, right Ragnarok?"

"Uh . . ." He looked over at Raven for a second, and then answered, "Yes, you have my word."

"Alright, I trust you," Gear nodded, "but you better be back before dark!"

"We will!" the Muse nodded cheerfully. Ragnarok looked away.

"Hey Muse, wait!" Static whispered. "What was that thing you were going to tell us?"

"Tell you? What do you mean?"

"You were going to say something about Raven!"

"Oh yeah. Well, it would be kinda rude to say it now, wouldn't it? I mean, she's right here."

"Then maybe we should go outside where we won't look so conspicuous."

"You know, maybe I'm wrong. I may be thinking about the wrong thing. Eli said this was Raven's idea. She knows that I'm lonely since you guys started going to college. Maybe she set this whole date thing up as a surprise. Why don't I tell you later?"

"You sure? I mean, I know you're excited about going to the pier, but if this is more important–"

"I don't think it is. Yep, everything's fine. You're gonna eat that piece?"

Ragnarok and the Muse went straight from the pizzeria to the pier. They went on the log ride first. The Muse screamed so loud on the dive down, but she loved the big "splash!" They went on the merry-go-round. Ragnarok looked so heroic to the Muse on his black Pegasus, and she rode next to him on a white unicorn. He reached out, and she held his hand for about half the ride. They ran through a house of mirrors as though it were a maze. When they found each other, they both laughed. They watched a magic show, played a ring toss game (neither one of them won), rode bumper cars, and made silly pictures in a photo booth. They saved the best for last, the Ferris wheel.

"It's beautiful up here," the Muse said.

"Yeah," Ragnarok nodded.

"Thanks so much for taking me."

"No problem." Ragnarok looked outside.

"You know, you're been really quiet. Is everything ok?"

"Uh . . . This is fun."

"It is. Man, it's gotten dark real quick. Odd for a summer day, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is."

"I saw a sign that said they have fireworks at sunset. Maybe they'll start early tonight."

"Yeah . . . they probably will."

"Hey!" Beast Boy cried. He bent over and picked something up. "'Find a penny, pick it up,' something, something, something, 'good luck!' Wow, it's my lucky day!"

"If the Muse were still here, she would have gotten it first," Gear said. "She still picks up lucky pennies, probably because for a while they were her only source of income."

"I guess it works then. Nobody's luckier than the Muse."

"Anybody up for an extreme game of stankball?" Cyborg offered as he held up a ball made up of stinky socks.

"Yeah, sure," Raven nodded.

"What are the rules?" Static asked. Cyborg didn't answer; he looked stunned, as did all the other Titans.

"You hate anything extreme, or stanky!" Beast Boy observed.

"Well, I haven't tried it before," Raven shrugged. "Who knows? I might have been wrong all this time."

"Raven, would please join me in the painting of the toenails later today?" Starfire begged.

"Sounds like fun."

Static was starting to get the picture. "Then, when you're done with your pedicure, how's about you and me go out on a date, Sugar?"

Raven frowned. "That's going a bit too far."

"Then maybe a comic book run?" Gear suggested. "We can get some collectibles, or maybe we'll find comic books of ourselves. That's always surreal."

"I've always been curious to try graphic novels. I'll trust you to show me what's good."

"OK, Raven, what going on?" Robin said. "Pancakes, pizza, stankball, toenails, comic books, inviting Ragnarok and the Muse out here for no apparent reason, then sending them out to the pier?"

Raven withdrew. "What's wrong with you guys? It's not a crime to do nice things for your friends, is it? Come on."

"Hey," Gear said as he put an ultraviolet visor over his helmet and pointed up. "If I'm not mistaken, that's a solar eclipse! Odd, they didn't say anything about a solar eclipse on the news today."

Suddenly, Raven thrashed around. Glowing marks appeared on her arms. Static caught her. "Dude, glow-in-the-dark tattoos? They make those?"

But the Titans looked terrified. "Why didn't you tell us?" Robin asked sadly. "It's happening, isn't it?"

"What?" Gear and Static said together.

"Please, Raven," Starfire said, "today is the day? It is–?"

"The end of the world," Raven whispered.

Nobody said a word. Gear and Static looked at each other in fear and confusion. The Titans were all frightened and sad, but nobody looked more despondent than Raven.

"Static, give her to Cyborg," Robin ordered. "Come on, guys. You know what to do."

"Know what to do? We don't have the slightest clue!" Static answered.

"Just follow us. We'll explain everything."

They returned to Titan Tower in silence, but once they got back, Static couldn't keep his peace. "This is all a joke, right? I mean, we got hidden cameras on us, right? We're totally punk'd. This isn't something to joke about, ok?"

"We're not joking, dude," Beast Boy said.

"But the end of the world? It can't be the end of the world!"

But Robin started talking about a plan. He put his hand on a panel, and a door opened to a blue, well-lit room with symbols gracing the walls. "You did all of this for me?" Raven asked.

"We're ready to take on Trigon!"

"Trigon?" Gear said. "The demon?"

"I thought he was locked up in you-know-where!" Static said.

"Quiet!" Robin said. "I told you, we're going to explain!"

But as Robin and Raven continued to talk, it didn't sound explanatory. The Titans led her in. "You'll be safe in here," Cyborg told her as he let her down. "Everything's ready. I installed all the latest technology. Nothing alive is getting in here."

"And these symbols should keep out everything else. We took them out of your books," Starfire cheerfully explained.

But then, Raven's eyes grew wide. She remembered Slade's words, "You will try to lock yourself away under the protection of technology and holy symbols. But this boy, this prophet, will come forth with the key. He will have secret knowledge that will set you free from your prison and your father's. He will carry forth your fate."

"I appreciate your doing this for me. This is all great, but this is just what they expect," Raven said. "It's not going to work."

"Well, it's better trying something than not doing anything," Static said. "My sister tells me all the time that if you have an option, you gotta try it."

"But that is not all. I am afraid that one of our own might get . . . hurt."

"Don't worry. We'll be watching you from up there," Robin assured her, pointing up to a red window. They walked out, except for Beast Boy who went back in.

"OK, man, what's all this about portals and Trigon and the end of the world?" Static yelled as soon as the door closed.

"Up to the control room, then we'll explain."

"I've had enough waiting! If it's the last day on earth, I want to know about it!"

"It's no one's last day!"

"But-but, she just said–!"

"The control room!"

"Fine."

Cyborg got everything on line. "Alright, here's the deal," Robin said. "Raven is Trigon's daughter."

"What? How'd that happen?"

"She didn't go into details," Cyborg answered. "I don't think we want to know."

"It has been prophesied that on her birthday, the events would be set in motion," Robin said. "Marks were placed on her body. Then on one day shortly after, Raven will become a portal that will release her father from his prison, and he will . . ."

"Destroy the world." Static whispered.

"That must have been what the Muse was trying to tell us," Gear said. "But how did she know?"

"Raven just recently told us," Robin said. "She probably told the Muse too. Ragnarok came here by himself a few months ago. He came specifically to see Raven. She had him up in her room for about an hour."

"And she doesn't let anybody go up there!" Beast Boy added.

"Something bad was going down with that kid," Cyborg said. "He ran almost the whole way here."

"He was frightened, as though he had been chased by a dreadful Eirskybeast."

"But when he left, he was fine," Robin said. "Raven didn't talk about what happened. We asked what he wanted, and she said it was between her and Ragnarok. So he may know more about this than we do."

"Alright, so what do we do?" Gear asked.

"Exactly what I said we were going to do! Weren't you listening?"

"Should we call the Muse back?"

"I don't know," Static said. "Raven went out of her way to make everybody's day enjoyable. I think she wanted the Muse to enjoy her last moments with someone she cares about. We may want to carry out Raven's last wishes. We'll see where this goes anyway."

"Yeah."

About half an hour later, Raven fell from her meditative state. Starfire said something about Trigon contacting Raven, and Cyborg picked up something on the radar.

"Shouldn't one of us stay behind?" Static said. "What about what she said, that one of our own may get hurt?"

"Whatever's on our scanner, there's a lot of them," Cyborg answered. "We need all hands on deck." The Titans ran out. Gear and Static reluctantly followed.

The Muse mentioned being hungry, so Ragnarok used his last couple of bucks to buy her a funnel cake.

"I love funnel cake!" she said. "Thanks so much."

"OK." He took a knife and cut it in half. One side was bigger than the other. "Sorry, I meant to make them equal. I'm not good at that. Do you want the smaller side or the bigger side?"

"Well, what do you want?"

"I want you to be happy."

The Muse smiled in surprise.

"Uh, I mean, I want you to pick."

"Well, I am really hungry, so would you mind if I get this part?"

"Sure."

She put the bigger half on another paper plate, pulled off a small bit, and popped it into her mouth. "It's good!"

"Yeah, it is," he nodded. "So. . . . your real name is Precious?"

"That's right."

"I like that. It's pretty."

"I like your name too, Eli. It sounds soothing."

"Um, Muse, you are very special to me. I think you are the only person who really cares about me so much."

"What about your family?"

"They don't care. They don't even ask where I go when I'm out as Ragnarok."

"That's sad."

"Yeah. Um, Muse, if I die, I don't want you to be sad."

The Muse choked on the little bit of funnel cake she was chewing. "What?"

"And I don't want you to go looking for me. You promise?"

"Eli, what are you saying? Why do you think you're going to die?"

"Please, don't make me explain it. I don't want to talk about it."

"Alright, but you're breaking my heart!"

"Please, promise me."

"I can't! Of course I'll be sad when you die! You're a wonderful friend and the best superhero partner ever. And if you die, I'll feel like I lost part of myself. But here's what I will promise. I know this is a dangerous job, and you don't have very many powers. Maybe that's why you're disturbed. I promise you, no matter what, I'll do my very best to keep you from harm. As Static would say, I got your back. Does that make you feel better?"

Ragnarok didn't answer for a while. The Muse didn't know what to say. Then he suddenly looked up. "I have something for you." He pulled out of his pocket a jewelry box and placed it on the table.

"Sorry, Ragnarok. Mommy says I can't accept presents from boys. I trust you and all, but I got to follow her rules. I don't want to explain that either."

"But it's not from me," he said. "It's a birthday present from an old friend."

She looked at him quizzically. Slowly, she slid the present toward her. "Birthday present?" she whispered to herself. "It's not my birthday." She picked it up, undid the latch, and opened it.

Inside was a golden chain with an opal.

She stared at it in wonder. "How did it come here all the way from Themyscira? It still so beautiful!"

Meanwhile, a voice sounded in Ragnarok's ear, "Hello, Eli. Remember me?" Ragnarok head jerked to the side. Slade was standing next to him. "It's not the first time I caught my associate smooching on the pier. It's time, my prophet." He seized Ragnarok's wrist. "No time to say goodbye to your sweetheart. We're already running late."

"No, I don't wanna go!"

"You have no choice! Prophets don't only speak for others. They set themselves up as examples, and that's what you're doing."

"I do have a choice! You can't control me anymore!"

"Watch me." He dragged Ragnarok away.

The Muse was too entranced by the dancing colors in her necklace to see what was going on. As she put the jewelry on her neck, she glowed brilliantly. It was only then when she looked up to see Ragnarok walking away. She couldn't see Slade. "Eli, why are you leaving me?" she called out to him.

He didn't answer. She kept trying to follow, but eventually she lost him in the crowd. The last time she saw him, she thought she saw something red flash on his forehead. Seeing it made her panic. She completely forgot that she had wings or that she had means of communication with her friends. She just ran all through the park calling Eli's name.

Eli continued to the tower, half in a trance and half awake. He tried to pull free from Slade's grip, but Slade only held tighter. As they approached the big T building, Eli saw the heroes engaged in battle with–

"The men of fire! From my vision!"

"Did you think I was fooling around?" Slade said.

Eli saw Cyborg set up a humongous cannon with Gear helping him manage it. "NO ONE'S GETTING IN HERE!" Cyborg shouted.

"What do we do?" Eli whispered.

"We go in the back way, while they are occupied. Come." Slade led the way inside. Eli followed so quickly, it almost felt like flight. They came to a shut door with an access panel. "Don't touch it, just hold your hand up to it." Ragnarok did so. His hand glowed, there was a tone, and the door opened. Raven was lying face first on the floor. She was muttering to herself something that sounded like, "No, Father, don't get him involved in this. He's just an innocent boy."

"Now," Slade said handing him a scroll, "read this." Eli tried to read it, but the words were foreign to him. He kept stumbling over them. Finally, Slade controlled Eli's speech so that he could speak the words correctly. The lights all went down.

Eli walked into the room and knelt down to Raven. She opened her eyes just slightly, just enough so that she could see. "Prophet?" she whispered.

Eli sadly bowed his head.

"I am ready," Raven weakly whispered.

"Please, don't let them do this."

"I wish I could, but there is nothing to be done now."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Trigon will come, no matter what we do. But you don't have to do this, Prophet. Save yourself."

Eli turned around, but Slade was blocking the way. "I can't," he sighed. He placed one arm beneath her back and one arm underneath her knees. It felt like she weighed nothing. Eli stood. Then he felt a pain on his wrists. He screamed, then looked down and saw that he was bound to Raven with chains made of fire. One hand was chained to Raven's arm, and the other hand was chained to her leg.

"Just in case you have second thoughts," Slade said. "Come. Dusk approaches."

Eli hesitated. He looked into Raven's face once more. She just looked back with watery eyes and said, "Go!" He had no choice but to obey.

They went outside through the front door this time. The men of fire immediately stopped fighting and stood at attention. "Hey, what gives?" Static said.

But everyone else saw. "Ragnarok?" Robin asked.

"Raven?" Starfire asked.

"Where's the Muse?" Gear asked.

"What are you doing, dude?" Beast Boy yelled.

"I have come to take her somewhere safe," Ragnarok answered in a flat voice.

"She is safest in the room we made for her!" Cyborg yelled. "PUT HER BACK THIS INSTANT!"

But then, the Mark of Scath burned on Ragnarok's forehead, and he answered in a distorted voice, "Foolish mortals! Do you not realize that she is safest in the arms of her father?"

Robin glared at Ragnarok and said in a growling whisper, "Traitor!"

The word cut Eli to the marrow, but Slade made him respond with an attack. Fire glowed from the mark of Scath on Ragnarok's forehead, but before it could be unleashed, Raven stretched forth her free hand and shot all of the heroes with a black lightning bolt. They all fell unconscious.

"Goodbye. Be safe," she whispered. Then she looked up at Eli and said defiantly, "Let's go." Eli followed Slade; the men of fire surrounded them on all sides.

At one point, they came to the ocean. Eli levitated over it. It was the first time he could remember that he actually flew by himself. If his purpose wasn't so ominous, the experience would have been almost enjoyable. Dogs howled mournfully as Eli passed by. He heard an owl hooting. If it weren't for the eclipse, it would still be daylight. And as the old superstition goes, when an owl hoots in the daytime . . .

They came to an old library labeled with the Mark of Scath . As he stood at the door, Eli suddenly yelled, "I can't do this! Why must we do this? I won't do this! Come on, Raven!" He turned around.

"NO!" she sharply ordered, but it was too late. The men of fire turned into a wall of flame, blocking his path. Eli felt burned just standing in front of the wall.

"Playing with destiny is a very dangerous game," Slade said. "But what would you know about games? You can't even play chess!"

"Yes I can!" Eli answered. "Mr. Wayne taught me!"

"You only played chess once. Ever since then, you only thought you knew all about it. You thought you knew all the moves, didn't you? Well, you made a serious flaw that left you wide open. That's right, Eli. I checkmated you. You've lost every game since."

"No! I've won every game!"

"Open you eyes boy, and stop being naive! There is no way you can win, no matter how hard you try. In the end, it won't matter."

As Slade's words sunk in, Raven had an argument with Slade. Evidently, Trigon promised him something, and she told him he wasn't going to get it. The men of fire attacked Slade, and Raven, with four red eyes glowing, ordered them to let him go. They left Slade behind. Instead of proceeding, however, Eli fell on his knees, and he wept bitterly. His helmet dropped to the ground. As Eli's tears hit Raven's face, her eyes became normal again. She reached up with her free hand, removed Ragnarok's rubber mask, and looked into his innocent, blue eyes. "Ragnarok, I know this distresses you. You are not part of the prophecy. Put me down, and I will go the rest of the way alone."

"I can't. We're chained to each other."

"No, we're not. The chains are only in your mind."

"But they're more real to me than reality. Besides, it will do no good. If I escape, I must have you with me."

"I can't come, you know that."

Eli cried harder. "I don't understand! You said they have no control over me!"

"They don't, but they have plenty of control over me."

"It's not fair! All the horrible things I saw, and you heard what Robin said. I'm Judas! Over five billion people will die today, and their blood will be on my hands!"

Raven reached up again and wiped away his tears. "No, Ragnarok. The guilt is not your own. It is mine, only mine. If you must be part of this, it is not of your doing. You are not a traitor; you are forgiven." She smiled. Something about saying those words made her feel better. Then she said, "Did you give the Muse that necklace?"

Eli nodded.

Raven smiled again, and her eyes became brighter. "Then all will be well," she whispered. "Trust me. Now, dry your tears. We must meet my father without weakness, because fear is what he wants to see. That's it. Rise, and let us go. Time is growing short."

Ragnarok looked up to a hole in the ceiling. "It's raining again."

Raven looked up. "I don't understand. It's a clear sky."

"But it's raining inside."

Raven reached up and touched his temple. She could see the image in his mind. He was standing in the middle of the rain, and every drop felt painful. The rain was his own sadness and pain, and it was coming down very hard, soaking the poor boy. She knew she couldn't make the rain stop, but at least maybe she could redirect his thoughts to sunshine. "I see that you enjoyed your time on the pier."

"I was terrified of what was going to happen, but yes I did. So did the Muse. I loved being with her for one last time. Thank you for letting us go and not chaining me up, like I wanted."

Raven smiled one more time. "It makes me happy that someone enjoyed their last day, and I'm so glad it was you."

And as she spoke, Ragnarok felt something slip into his chained hand. It felt like a coin.

The Titans rose and pondered what happened. "That does it! I'm calling the Muse!" Gear grabbed his Shock Box.

Before he could say anything, the Muse's anguished voice yelled on the other end, "I CAN'T FIND ELI!"

"We know, Muse, he was just here! Listen, the whole thing you wanted to tell us about Raven, we know it now. It's happening."

"Oh no!"

"And Ragnarok's with her!" Static added.

"What?"

"We're going to try to stop it!" Gear said. "Meet us at–where, Cyborg?"

"She's heading for the old library," he answered. "Everything's destroyed all around it, you probably won't miss it!"

The Muse flew on her own until she found a building with a strange insignia. Just inside the door, she found a horned helmet and a rubber mask. "Oh, Eli!" She searched around the building, calling his name. After about fifteen minutes of her unproductive search, she went inside.

Ragnarok and Raven approached a large tower shaped like a hand. "It is time," Raven said. "The prophecy will be fulfilled." Ragnarok walked closer to the tower, but then they heard energy blasts behind them. The Titans, Static, and Gear had arrived. The men of fire came down on them, but with a wave of Raven's hand, the heroes were released.

"Let her go!" Robin demanded.

"I can't!" Ragnarok cried. "I want to, but I can't!"

So Robin tried to talk some reason into Raven, and all she did was prove how stubborn she was. She created a wall of darkness between them. Then, as the heroes tried to get through the force field, Ragnarok and Raven slowly ascended the tower. Steps appeared before them. With every step, Ragnarok's heart pounded harder. His ears rang. The internal rain was pouring down on him harder than ever. He knew what was going to happen. Raven only looked up resolute.

And as they entered the hand, Ragnarok heard a scream, "RAVEN! ELI!" It was the Muse flying behind the force field, and she looked just as lovely as she did in his vision. Her appearance filled Ragnarok's heart with hope and terror at the same time.

Raven saw her too. Ragnarok could hear the telepathic message she sent to the Muse. "Darkness is conquered by light." Ragnarok looked at her as if to ask her as if it were true, but she made no implication. He lowered Raven down. The chains disappeared. He pulled her up to a seating position. She levitated "Indian style."

"And now mortal, one last prophecy will you speak," a voice more evil and malicious than Slade's ever was commanded in Eli's head.

Ragnarok placed his hands on Raven's shoulders, and he spoke the words the new voice said in his mind. Raven, who knew the words by heart, spoke them with him.

"THE GEM WAS BORN OF EVIL'S FIRE. THE GEM SHALL BE HIS PORTAL. HE COMES TO CLAIM, HE COMES TO SIRE, THE END OF ALL THINGS MORTAL!"

The red marks glowed brilliantly all over Raven's body. She screamed. The red marks encircled her. A bright light formed around her middle. Eli was thrown back. A copper coin fell from his hand. Raven disappeared in the light. Then fire filled the sky. The new portal crushed the tower. Eli fell. He could hear the Muse scream his name. When he reached the bottom, he was still alive, but just barely.

Then the awful monster that Eli had seen appeared. The beast looked down at Eli. "Thank you," he said. "Your work is done."

He reached forth and made a grabbing motion around Eli. The boy felt terrible pain and then . . . the rain stopped. The Muse couldn't stop screaming. The great beast looked up at her, waved his hand, and a white light washed over her. The last thing she heard was the beast proclaim, "THE EARTH IS MINE!"

"Precious? Precious? Open your eyes, Precious."

Precious opened her eyes, and she was lying in a flower bed in paradise. The flowers blooming all around her had the sweetest scent she ever smelled. A waterfall flowed beside her, and when the sun struck it just right, it made rainbows. And sitting beside her, stroking her hair, was an old friend.

"Opal! It's been so long!"

"I know. I missed you."

"I thought you were always with me."

"I am, but I miss you coming to my home."

"Just a moment ago, I saw something terrible. Where are my friends, and what is that in . . . ?" She looked down at her hands. She was still tightly holding Ragnarok's helmet. "Did it really happen?"

"It doesn't matter. You're here now. Come on, I got new things to show you."

And Precious got up and followed her old friend. She had no idea of the real destruction all around her. She couldn't see the raven that tried to lead her to her friends.

The other heroes, meanwhile, had just tried to face Trigon using their powers and remnants of Raven's power. They failed miserably and landed in what was left of an arena.

"Of all the places we could crash and burn, why did it have to be here?" Beast Boy moaned.

"Alright peeps, I have a plan!" Static said. "Gather 'round. OK, we go underground, and we form a brave, new world of superhumans, and we'll attack Trigon again in a hundred years. Starfire, Robin, I've seen how you look at each other. You're going to be married. I'll perform the ceremony. Your job is to make a humongous family. Cyborg, Gear, you work on cloning technology. Beast Boy, you're their guinea pig."

"Awe, dude!" Beast Boy whined.

"And what will you do?" Robin asked.

"Well, I guess I'll be president."

"What?" Cyborg gasped.

"Hey, you guys are going to be busy. Somebody's gotta be in charge, and since I thought of the idea–"

"Static, your plan's not going to work," Gear interrupted

"Well, it works in all the movies: War of the Worlds, 1984, Planet of the Apes . . ."

"Have you even watched those? They're dystopias! They fall apart!"

"You got any better ideas?"

"Look!" Starfire cried . She was standing at the top of some stairs, pointing at something. Everybody joined her. They saw someone meandering through the ruins holding something golden in her arms. "The Muse! She survived!"

"Oh, thank goodness!" Gear sighed.

"Good, another female. That makes things easier," Static said.

"Give it up already!"

"OK!"

Static, Gear, and Starfire came closer to the Muse. As she got a better look, Starfire gasped. "She has Opal! Joy!" She flew even quicker and hugged the Muse tightly.

"Uggh!" the Muse cried and pushed her away.

"Muse, what is wrong? It is I, your friend Starfire."

The Muse turned toward her, but her eyes look right through Starfire.

"Oh no, she's reverting!" Gear said.

"Reverting? What is this reverting?"

"She's becoming more autistic. Here, let me see her hat." He came closer to her. She resisted his touch, but he managed to get to her. He didn't even take the hat off but scanned it with his technology. "Everything's functioning normally. Strange. Maybe I should get Cyborg to give me a second opinion."

"Or maybe it has nothing to do with the Magic Hat," Static suggested. "Sharon told me about a psychological disorder where body parts just shut off after somebody experiences a traumatic event. You know, like if you saw somebody murdered, you might go blind. Nothing physically wrong with your eyes, they just don't work. Well, the Muse saw the worst thing ever. She saw Trigon return, kidnap her best friend, and destroy the world in less than five minutes. Maybe her brain shut itself off to the real world."

"How can we turn it back on?" Starfire asked.

"Normally, that would take a lot of rehab. I don't think we have that kind of time. Gear, you're going to have to think of something."

"Truth, we do not have time. She has Opal with her. We must reach her so that she can use it!"

"Have any idea what Opal is?" Static asked Gear.

"None whatsoever."

They took the Muse over to the arena. "Dude," Beast Boy remarked. "She's like, Super Muse!"

"Whoa, I didn't realize how radiant you are!" Static said.

"Check out her eyes!" Cyborg said.

"How'd she get like this?" Robin asked.

"It's Opal!" Starfire said. "We found it at Themyscira. That magic necklace brought dead things back to life and cleared away evil and corruption. It thrived on the Muse's imagination, but it was stronger when Raven and I were with her. I didn't completely understand that part. She said, 'I don't need your powers as much as I need you.' We placed our hands on her shoulders. We gave her something; I could feel it, but what it was I wasn't sure. Our strength? Our imagination? Our powers? Whatever it was, it gave her great magic. She used it to send Slade away. I think the Muse understands what happened the most."

"So you think if we joined together with the Muse and her magic necklace, we can defeat Trigon," Cyborg said. "Teamwork and magic hasn't done much for us lately in his battle against him. I still think that Raven is the only one who can help us."

"I just can't believe she's gone," Robin said.

"That's because she isn't," a cold voice said from the darkness. A figure stepped out of nowhere.

"Slade!" Robin yelled. The Titans charge at the foe. He dodged from their attacks, and then he held out his hand.

"Don't be so hasty to fight me. I call a truce. I have come to help."

"We don't want your help!" Cyborg replied.

"Oh, so I see you can handle things all by yourself? Raven can be saved."

Starfire threw him against a wall. "You will not dishonor her with your deceit!"

"We ain't buying what you're selling!" Cyborg added as he pointed his cybercannon to Slade.

"I see you're not familiar with the concept of a truce. I'll enlighten you. It means that for a brief period, we do not fight or threaten each other. We put our differences aside and work together for a common goal. In this case, the goal is to find Raven."

"Why do you want to help us, Metalhead?" Static yelled.

"That's my business. For a truce to work, we must treat each other with respect."

"But we saw Raven become the portal!" Starfire said as she put Slade down. "She was destroyed!"

"Raven has fulfilled the prophecy of her birth. That part of her existence is complete, but another part exists . . . for the moment."

"Tell us where she is! We'll go get her!" Cyborg demanded.

"No. Only one of you may go."

"She's our friend! We all go, or we don't go at all," Beast Boy shot back

"Then she's doomed. There are many things about Trigon that I understand, once of which is that he is almost omniscient. His eyes and mind are everywhere, but he can be distracted. The rest of you must divert his attention."

"We tried that already, and we bit the dust!" Static said.

Slade surveyed him harshly. "It's the end of the world. Did you expect it to be easy? I don't expect you to win. I don't even expect you to live, only endure."

"I'll go with you," Robin said.

"Robin, no!" Starfire cried.

"It's our only chance to save Raven. Besides, I told her that I owed her one earlier."

"Trigon is still weak after his return," Slade told the others. "You may be able to survive with this." He held out a ring. "It is a ring of Azar, crafted by the same order that imprisoned Trigon. I know from experience that it works." Starfire took the ring from Slade's hand.

"Now, before we go, there is one other matter." Slade walked past the other Titans toward the Muse. Gear was trying to take Ragnarok's helmet out of her hands, but she only held it tighter. "Believe it or not, young man, I know a lot about the autistic mind. I can break her out of her state."

"I don't believe it," Gear replied. "I've studied her mind for years to invent this hat."

"Have you been there?" Before Gear could ask what he meant, Slade touched the Muse's forehead. Trigon took away most of his powers, but he left one.

Slade appeared standing in the path that Precious and Opal were walking. "Slade!" Precious cried.

"What are you doing here?" Opal demanded.

"I've come to speak with you, girl. You are in danger."

"There is no danger here," she said. "This is Prism Falls."

"I hate to break it to you, but this is not reality." He came closer to her and passed his hand before her eyes. "This is reality."

The Muse blinked a couple of times. "GUYS!" She gave Gear a hug. "I've been looking everywhere for you. Oh, Starfire! I thought I heard your voice, but I couldn't find you!"

"Welcome back, girlfriend!" Static greeted.

Beast Boy turned into a rabbit and hopped happily up to her. She petted him, and he gave her little rabbit kisses. She hugged everybody, and she cried happy tears. Her tears looked like rainbows. As she let go of Robin, she looked around and noticed two people were missing. "Where's Raven? And Ragnarok?"

Everybody's smiles faded away. "Um, Muse, I hate to say this, but, um . . . they're gone," Robin said.

"Gone? They can't be gone. Maybe they wandered off."

"No. They've been destroyed."

"How can that be?"

"Look around you," Slade said coldly. "Has your eyes been clouded so much with flowers and friendship that you have not seen the hand of Trigon?"

"Oh no!" The Muse flew above the arena. "It did happen." She saw Eli's helmet in her hands. "Why? I was too late!" She cried again, this time out of sadness. "I should have told her to read the New Testament first." But then she remembered something Raven said. "This is not the end," the Muse said to herself. "Darkness is conquered by light." She flew back down and dried her tears. "So, Slade, what has happened to Raven and Ragnarok?"

"Well, he was just telling us that there's a possibility that Raven can be saved," Robin explained. "I'm going with him to find her. As for Ragnarok . . . well, you're not going to like this . . ."

"Ragnarok is with Trigon," Slade interrupted. "To be quite frank, he's bait."

"Bait?" Gear said.

"Trigon has accepted that he and the Muse are fated to meet, but the outcome of their battle together is uncertain. He wants to catch her when she's vulnerable, and seeing her friend in his clutches will make her feel very vulnerable indeed. She is safest with me."

"Alright, I'm really not believing that."

"You forget, young man, I used to work for Trigon. I know his plans, and I know he is determined to destroy her. I can keep her from what he has planned."

"No, she needs to stay with me! I'm family."

"That's touching, but I'm afraid family bloodlines won't save her."

"It's ok, Gear" the Muse said. "I know Slade, and I believe that he'll protect me. If he has another motive, that's when I'll worry. I'll go."

"Wait a minute, I thought you said only one of us can come," Robin said.

"At the moment I said that, the Muse was incapacitated," Slade explained. "Besides, there will come a place where the path splits. You will need to go one way, and the Muse and I will go the other."

"Very well," Robin nodded. He and the Muse said goodbye to everyone, and all the other heroes assured them that they will do the best they could to take out Trigon.

"We have work to do," Slade said. "Come Robin, Muse." They followed him down a spiraling, dark stairwell. They came to a door with the Mark of Scath painted on it.

"I know that sign!" the Muse cried. "That's the same–"

"It's the Mark of Scath, Trigon's symbol," Robin explained.

"I must warn you both," Slade said. "If we do succeed, you might not like what you see."

"We don't care. Keep going," Robin said. So they pushed open the door. They came to a lake of molten lava. Slade ferried the heroes across the treacherous lake on a boat. On the way, Robin argued with Slade of why he helped Trigon.

"I know why you did it," the Muse said sleepily. "You said we would dance and sing as we watched the world burn. This is what you wanted, wasn't it? It's what makes you happy."

"I said that?" Slade asked.

But the Muse just leaned back in the boat, looked down into the water, and sang, "He is dead and gone, my lord, he is dead and gone. At his head a grass-green turf, at his heels a stone." She reached her hand into the burning water.

"NO!" Robin screamed and pulled her back.

"Idiot child!" Slade reprimanded. Just then, men of fire came out of the fountains and the lake. Everyone jumped out of the boat. Robin and Slade fought them. The Muse only stared. When they tried to attack her, she just backed away. When they got too close to her, they disappeared.

It seemed like the heroes got them all, but then one man of fire rose in a sneak attack. Slade didn't move, but Robin got him. "What about the deal of you truce?" Robin yelled.

"Old habits die hard," Slade answered. But then another one rose to attack. It aimed for the Muse. She just looked up at it. Robin knocked it out of the way.

"Why aren't you doing your part?"

"It just looked so pretty," she answered in a dreamy voice. "I've always been intrigued by fire. How it dances, how it changes colors, how it," (she sighed), "reminds me of Ragnarok."

"Have you forgotten how dangerous it is?" Slade asked.

Robin shook his head. "Muse, Ragnarok betrayed us. We tried to keep Raven safe, but he snuck behind out backs and took her out himself. It's because of him that the world was destroyed."

"No, you're lying."

"He's not lying, just ignorant," Slade answered. "To punish Raven for asking you for help, Trigon sent me to get inside your friend's mind and torture him. We decided that the best way to destroy him from the inside out was to make him like Cassandra, a prophet who no one would listen to. He was autistic already. He odd behavior would cause people to simply think he was getting worse and not offer him help or sympathy. And then Trigon placed on him a great curse, according to the law. He saw the Titans putting that room together. He knew what it was for. So he placed on Ragnarok a destiny to live up to his name, that he would take Raven out of the room and lead her to her fate. And there, he would share her fate. Ragnarok did not want to do it, but just like Raven, he had no other choice. He was no more a traitor than she."

"I saw him. I saw him fall from the tower. He . . ." She looked once more at the helmet.

"You said he's with Trigon," Robin said.

"He is, what's left of him anyway," Slade answered harshly. The Muse wailed. "But he's not really dead yet. Trigon is drinking in the boy's life energy, his soul. He's between life and death."

"Even if he was alive, though, he'd be in bad shape."

"Trust me, I know the feeling. We'll talk about that later."

The Muse wouldn't move. "He knew it was going to happen. The last things he said to me, he wanted me to be happy, he didn't want me to be sad if he died. And I told him I wouldn't let him be harmed. I, I failed him." She hugged the helmet close to her chest and silently cried.

Robin rubbed her shoulder. "There was nothing you could do, if he was in the same situation as Raven. But if there is hope for Raven, there should be hope for Ragnarok."

The Muse stopped crying. "Hope. That's it. It was a prophecy. That means . . . oh Robin, that's just what I needed to hear! Thank you!" She hugged him.

"You're welcome. Um, I don't understand, though."

The Muse beamed. "There is hope, Robin, for Raven, for Ragnarok, for the world! It's a secret Raven told me herself. I'm not sure if I can tell you here."

"Whatever it is, it can wait," Slade said sharply. "We're losing valuable time."

"Come on," Robin said. They proceeded down the path in silence for a while. Then Robin turned to the Muse and said quietly, "You know, I can't help but wonder, how did you survive?"

"Survive what? Trigon's destruction?"

"Yeah, you had to have been one of the first things he saw, and if you're such a threat to him, why didn't he take you instead of Ragnarok?"

"I don't know." The Muse fingered her necklace. "This may have something to do with it. Ragnarok gave it to me before he left me. He said it was a birthday present from an old friend. I still haven't completely figured out what he meant. It's not my birthday. What about you? How did you survive?"

"Before Raven was taken, she attacked us with an energy bolt. We thought it was just to knock us out so that she could get away, but I wasn't so sure. Before I lost consciousness, I heard Raven say, 'Be safe.' She put some of her own powers into all of us. We were protected from Trigon's destruction, and we could work together to take on Trigon with a remnant of Raven's powers. But you were nowhere near us when she gave us that blessing. In fact, where were you?"

"I was still on the pier, panicking. I wasn't in the right frame of mind at that time. So, did you do it yet?"

"Yeah. We faced him together. Starfire told us that Raven's powers went out of control when she felt too emotional, so all of us concentrated on our anger. But the power we released was not enough. Trigon was knocked out for about two seconds, and then he banished us from his presence. That's when we found you."

"Uh, Robin, I hate to sound critical, especially to a more experienced superhero and in dire times like this, but . . . you did the wrong thing."

"What do you mean?"

"This isn't some RPG where you just wait until your Magic Points reach their maximum and attack the head boss. This is a real demon! You attacked Trigon out of hostility, which is a byproduct of hate. It's that kind of energy that he feeds off of. Your attack only prodded the flames of a great fire."

"So you're saying we made things worse?"

"I don't know about that, but to be honest, if you fight evil out of anger and hate, you're no better than him!" She pointed to Slade.

"Alright, if you're so smart, what should we have done?"

"Now, there's no need to be angry with me!"

"Sorry, I'm not angry, just frustrated. I just want to do things right the next time."

"There are more emotions than anger, you know, emotions that are deadly to evil. Raven might have realized it, and she tried to get you to realize it. Think, Robin. Why did Raven give you that blessing?"

"To fight Trigon!"

"Think harder. Why else?"

"Because she wanted us to survive."

"Yes. Why?"

"Because we were her friends. Because . . . she cared about us."

"You're getting warmer."

Robin was quiet. Finally, he threw up his hands. "I can't think of anything else!"

"Robin, there's only one force that can defeat Trigon. It's–"

But just then, Slade slipped and fell off the path. The Muse gasped and flew down. She helped him back on his feet. Robin slid down. "Are you ok?" The Muse asked Slade.

He took his hand away from her. "I'm sure that made your day, Robin, to see your favorite enemy slip and fall."

"I'm here to rescue Raven, not pity you," Robin replied coldly.

The Muse sighed sadly. He had not seen at all.

"I suppose this is the place where we must go our separate ways."

"Yes. You will find your friend down that path. What I seek is in a much . . . hotter place."

"That's it? No double-cross? No implied threat?"

"I held up my part of the truce. It's a shame that only the villain can uphold it honorably."

"This doesn't change anything! If we meet again–"

"I wouldn't expect anything less. Come, Muse."

Robin went up to her first. "You watch yourself. I don't trust him."

"I do."

"Why?"

"Because he knows what Trigon is up to."

"But he may be leading you directly to Trigon!"

"If that's the way it is, that's the way it is. But remember what I told you. Have faith."

"What was it you were going to say? What can defeat Trigon?"

"Why don't you ask Raven herself? She knows."

"Alright I will. Be safe, Muse."

"You too." And she went back to Slade. "A hotter place, huh? It's not where I think it is, is it?"

"It is, actually."

"You sure I'll be able to take it?"

"If you were protected from Trigon's power, you have nothing to fear. Yet just to make certain you are not harmed, stay close to me."

"OK, I trust you. You know Slade, I wonder," the Muse pondered. "You know Trigon better than I do. Why did he destroy the earth? I can understand that he wants to lord over it, but what's the point if there's nobody to lord over?"

"He has his reasons. It is not my place to divulge them."

"Fair enough. Now, what is it we're looking for?"

"My life."

"Your . . . what? If you're not alive, how can we be conversing here?"

"Let just say I am currently incomplete. My experience with apprentices has been most . . . unfortunate. Your betrayal led to my incarceration again . . . and ultimately my demise. But I was lucky. Something was looking out for me that day. It seemed like a simple arrangement, really, do a few chores and get back my flesh and bone. And I must say, the fringe benefits were most enjoyable. A pity things did not turn out as planned. The moral of this story: never make deals with an interdimensional demon without a little protection."

"I can see a lot of morals before that point. But let me see if I understand. Robin has gone to save Raven, and I have come to save . . . you?"

"A deal is a deal."

"But are you keeping me from my real purpose, to face Trigon? Was there a prophecy made about me?"

"As I have said, you will face him when the time is right, but I cannot tell you how it will end."

"Raven told me that you sold your soul, but what price did you truly pay? I will help you, Slade, only if you meet one condition. If you become alive again, you must change. You must become a kind man, a generous man. You can keep all of your cunning and intelligence, because that's the best part of you, but you must use it in other ways. You must learn to love."

"I agree to nothing of the sort."

"If you don't agree to it, you're on your own! I'll find Trigon and Eli by myself, and if I perish, I perish!"

Slade hesitated. Then he turned around. "Very well. We will form a compromise. You help me find what I have lost, and I will stand by your side and offer my assistance when you face Trigon. If necessary, I will aid you in destroying him."

The Muse gave a satisfied smile. "Ironic, isn't it? Now you're the apprentice, and you are rebelling against your master. Guess Robin, Terra, and I taught you more than you taught us."

"Do you accept my terms or not?"

"It's a deal." They shook hands.

Up on the surface, the heroes were fighting their evil carbon copies. Evil Starfire divulged Robin's secret location to Trigon. The demon smiled. "I know."

"You know?" everyone said together.

"I have known of your rescue mission before your minds even conceived of it, and I have known before even you that your plan will come to nothing. I expect no threat from you. Of course, you would have known this as well, had you listened to . . . my prophet."

"Prophet?" Static said.

Trigon smiled and opened his enormous hand. There lay a boy wrapped in a golden cape. A feeble ray of sunlight seemed to rest on his body.

"Ragnarok," Starfire gasped.

"Eli," Gear said.

"I put words into his mouth myself," Trigon said. "They went unheeded. You believed him to be a traitor, a rogue. And now, he is my food. And when I am done with him, he will be food for worms."

"Give him back to us!" Static yelled.

"Who are you to threaten me, mortal? He is my prophet, and I will do with him what I please." And he closed his hand around the body again.

"So you were my apprentice?"

"Yes. Don't you remember?"

"Not clearly. I purposely removed your memory from my mind when you defeated me. Trigon returned some of your memories to me, but it feels distant like a dream. I remember Terra and Robin much more than I remember you." Slade looked down at her. "Tell me, why?"

"Why what?"

"Why would I make you my apprentice? You may be powerful, but you are a slow-witted idiot. My other apprentices had much more skill and intelligence than you. What was I thinking?"

"I don't know. I asked you, but you wouldn't answer. I think you were trying to change me. You nearly killed me when you found you couldn't, but I forgave you. I missed you, Slade. I thought the Death Penalty was a little steep. I think Robin missed you too." Slade didn't respond. Slade and the Muse faced down a deep pit. "You fly down. I prefer to take the hard way," Slade advised. He leapt into the cavern.

Even with her own radiance, it was difficult for the Muse to see. "Magic," she whispered, and her opal became a sphere of light. Slade slid on the rocks. Once again, the Muse helped him up, but she recoiled in terror. His mask had fallen off, and she saw a terrible, one-eyed skull looking at her. "It's just like my dream, only then you were dripping with slime."

"Get me my mask!" Slade ordered. "I am embarrassed of this state as you are."

"No, you're embarrassed. I'm terrified."

"Whatever. Either way, it will be gone soon." The Muse handed Slade his mask, and he slapped it on.

They went down into a lava-filled cave. Another door with Trigon's insignia was down there, and a masked guard holding a large two-headed axe guarded the door. "The hollow journey of your empty vessel ends here," the guard coldly stated. "You cannot reclaim that which you lost."

"Maybe so, but I have nothing to lose." Slade attacked the faceless guard, but he fought back and raised his terrible axe. "Now, Muse!"

"Stop!" the Muse ordered. The guard was frozen.

"She is alive!" the guard yelled. "She is not permitted to be here!"

"I am a villain. I break the rules," Slade answered. He continued to fight the faceless guard physically, and the Muse made energy blasts from her opal to fire at him. But he was too strong for both of them. Slade managed to push him into the lake of fire, but the guard rose out unscathed.

"You cannot hope to defeat pure evil!" the guard said.

"Actually, I'm not very good myself," Slade answered. He pushed a button which set off a bomb he put on the door. It exploded. "Quick Muse! In here!" Slade yelled. They ran into the door. Inside were a bunch of hearts kept in bell jars. "Here it is."

"Wilson, Slade," the Muse read on its label. "Wilson? Like the tennis ball?"

"Don't laugh," he said as he reached for the heart.

"I don't know if you want that one. Look how black and shrived it is. And, oh my goodness! Here it looks like somebody took a bite out of it. It has white pulp, like an apple."

"It's my heart, and it will do."

"Who ate your heart, Slade? Was it not yourself?" She grabbed another bell jar. "Please, why don't you take this one? It's red and full, much more healthy. It will serve you better."

"It is still beating. That means the owner of it is still alive. I don't think they'd be too happy with me if I stole their heart. No, this one will do." He held the black, shriveled heart to his chest, and it disappeared into its spot. Slade took a breath. "That's much better. Come. We have a demon to defeat." He went toward the door and then turned back. "Wait a minute. There are only eight people alive right now. You offered one of their hearts to me."

"Yes. It was my own."

She hoped that he would see her selfless act that it will finally transform him, but Slade only glared at her. "Foolish girl! How can you expect to defeat Trigon if you gave me your heart? Let us return to the surface before you do something more foolish!"

"Just one second." She searched very, very quickly for one heart, grabbed it off the shelf, put it in her pocket, and ran out the room. Meanwhile, Slade took the faceless guard's battle axe.

"Her powers are gone?" Cyborg asked. "She can't help us?"

"At least we still have that ring of Azar thingy so Trigon can't–" But before Beast Boy could finish, Starfire held out fragments of a broken ring. "Oh, crud."

"What about the Muse?" Gear asked.

"She was with Slade," Robin said. "I haven't seen her since we found that fork in the road. But she told me there is hope, and I believe her."

"So let's give it all we got!" Static said.

"But how do we fight him without getting the stuffing kicked out of us?" Gear said.

"And how do we procure the Ragnarok back?" Starfire asked.

"I told the Muse of how we fought Trigon earlier, and she said we fought him wrong. When we came to him in anger, we only fed the flames. The Muse told me that only one force can defeat Trigon." He took one look at the young Raven, and then he smiled. "And I think I know what it is!"

"What is it?" Beast Boy asked.

"She knows," Robin answered, satisfied. "Darkness is conquered by light."

"What do you mean, Robin?" Starfire asked.

"Let's just fight as we did before, for Raven!"

"For Raven!" they all replied. Then they all took off and did their thing. Their hurt Trigon to a degree, but then his eyes glowed with evil fire.

"My patience is wearing thin!" the monster roared. He beat them with a red light, and they were trapped in a glowing sphere. "Your world is ended! Your time is–"

But then, someone struck him from behind and cut off his antler crown. It was Slade with his monstrous axe. The distraction freed the heroes from their trap. "I am no one's apprentice!" Slade yelled.

"If Slade is here," Robin said, "then that means–"

"Look!" Starfire yelled. "Starfire!"

"I am looking at you, honey," Static quipped.

"No, up in the sky!" They saw a streak of light coming toward the beast.

"That's no shooting star," Gear said. "That's . . ."

"TRIGON!" a voice yelled. The flying object stood still in midair and stared the beast in the face. "I believed it was foretold that we would meet."

"MUSE!" all the heroes cheered.

"Yes," Trigon replied to her challenge. "It was also foretold that your heart would be too grieved for what had happened to the earth that you would be too weak and foolish to take me."

"Funny thing about prophecies from your home. Do you know their secret? Your astute daughter picked up on it. They always spell out doom for the human race, but they fail to mention redemption and salvation. There's always a hidden prophecy to turn them around. In this case, yeah, I am grieved of what happened to the earth, but I'm gonna make my grief and concern work for Earth's advantage instead of your own!"

"And what of your friend?" Trigon held out his hand to show her Eli's body again. "The life is almost entirely gone from his body. Even if you stop me, he is entirely beyond hope."

Trigon lay the body on the ground. The Titans moved out of the way. The Muse flew down to him. Seeing his body was indeed more than she could bear. She held back her tears and gently placed back on Eli's head his horned helmet. Then she looked back up at Trigon. "There is always hope for those who trust in God! Darkness is conquered by light!"

Then her Opal began to glow brilliantly. She levitated slightly. Trigon started to shield his eyes, but he still reached for the Muse as though he meant to squash her.

"I cannot do this alone!" she cried. "Friends, help me. Don't think of this foe and what he has done. Think about all the good things in this earth before he came! Think of your loved ones! Think of each other! But most of all, think of what we are fighting for!"

All of the heroes gathered around the Muse and put their hands on her shoulders and her arms. Each person began to glow and levitate with her. They all stared steadfastly at Trigon. The light became bigger and brighter. Trigon looked more frightened.

Then, the Muse felt a small hand hold hers. She looked down and saw young Raven holding on and smiling. The Muse nodded at her, then turned to Trigon. Slowly, though, she could feel the hand growing in hers.

"It's still not enough!" Robin said.

"What should we do?" Starfire cried.

"Slade!" the Muse yelled.

"I've done my part," he called back.

"No, you did not! You said you'd aid me in destroying Trigon if necessary, and it IS necessary! Come here!"

So he came up and held her hand. The light became somewhat brighter. Just a little more . . .

And then, the Muse felt a bead of water hit her knuckle.

"MAGIC!" the Muse and most of the heroes shouted. The white light shot forward and engulfed the beast. He gave one last roar, and he was gone. The Muse collapsed, exhausted. But then, she looked up and saw a figure in white fly up create another white light in the sky. Who is this? Could it be . . . Opal?

She opened her eyes to brilliant sunlight. The Muse found herself on the sofa in Titan Tower. "Oh, it's a new day! And it's beautiful!"

"Good morning." Raven was sitting next to her, and she was smiling.

"Raven! You're back!"

"Yes. I've been using my powers to get you back to strength again. While I was waiting, I've been reading ahead in that Bible you gave me. You're right. The New Testament is interesting. I don't know if I completely understand it, though."

"Well, I know some people you can talk to." The Muse flew up to the window. "So, the Earth is back to normal? Who have we to thank for that?"

"All of us. Helping you banish my father brought back my powers, and they were stronger than before. It's almost like I had the strength of all the Titans. I used my new powers to set everything right, so I had to give up a lot of that strength. But it was worth it, right?"

"Absolutely."

Raven hugged her. "Muse, I knew you would save us." But then she backed away, and a sorrowful look crossed her face. "I do have sad news."

"Ragnarok?"

Raven levitated outside. Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, Beast Boy, Static, and Gear stood around a platform where the body of Eli lay. His mask was placed at his side. "I healed many of his wounds, but too much of his soul is gone. There's nothing more we can do. We're going to bury him at sea."

"He was a devoted friend," Robin said consoling the Muse. "You were lucky to have known him."

"Do not worry," Starfire said. "When you see lights up in the sky, you will know he is looking down on you in favor."

"Wait," the Muse said. "There is something more we can do." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a very slowly beating heart. She placed it on Eli's chest, put his hands over it, and kissed his nose. Then she backed away.

The body groaned and twitched. Eli opened his eyes. "Hi, Muse," he said weakly.

"Hey. How are you doing?"

"I feel . . . drained. Cyborg? Do you have any more of that fruit punch flavored sports drink?"

Cyborg was stunned, but then he said enthusiastically, "Sure, man, I'll mix a drum up!"

"How'd you do that?" Static asked.

"You can thank Slade. If I didn't join him on his errand, I wouldn't have found it."

"There something I still don't understand," Robin asked. "Why did Slade have to join us? I could hear Raven say in my mind 'Darkness is conquered by light,' and he's darkness through and through."

"He was searching for something that he lost, something that he wanted. I wanted him to find something else that he lost, something that he needed."

"What was it?"

"The light, of course."

"What is that light? Is it unselfishness, thinking of others before thinking of oneself?"

"Well, yeah, that's part of it. It's love."

"Love!" Robin made a face. "Love and villains don't really mix. We learned that the hard way."

"But it's what we're supposed to do, love our enemies. As long as you have such blinding hatred for Slade, you'll never truly see."

Robin just scratched his head. Then he turned around to Eli. "Ragnarok, I'm sorry I called you a traitor. I didn't know what was going on."

"Is ok," he answered.

"And to make it up to you, I hereby make you an honorary Teen Titan." He handed Ragnarok a communicator. "Now you don't have to run all the way here if you need us. You can just give us a call, and we'll pick you up in the T-Sub."

"Thanks." He looked up. "Raven, I'm glad to see you're ok. I didn't see it before."

"Well, you only saw what my father wanted you to see."

"Oh, and Raven." The Muse took the Opal off of her neck and handed it back. "You were responsible for getting this, aren't you?"

"I was. You figured it out, didn't you?"

"A birthday present from a friend. It took a while, but then I remembered whose birthday started this whole mess. I guess we need to take this back to Themyscira."

"Why?" Raven said. "It's yours!"

"Well, it belongs there. Something might foul up the water again."

"I doubt that."

"Look, if I kept it, I may repeat a phase of my life that I may not be able to get out of."

"Very well. I'll see to it, but I want to leave it somewhere where you can get it easily. You are much more powerful when you have it with you. You know, maybe it would be good for emergencies."

"OK. Now guys, if you don't mind, I'd like to go out and do some thinking."

The Muse flew around town for a while, and then she saw a familiar shadow. She flew down to him. "Hey."

"Don't give me that," Slade said. His one eye was turned away from her.

"I just want to say thank you. If it wasn't for you–"

"I don't want to hear it."

"You have changed, you know."

"I haven't changed. I'm still a villain."

"You can't deny that you've changed. You'll always bear the mark."

"It was only a moment of weakness. That power of yours going through me touched a nerve, worked a chemical reaction."

"Well, if that's your story. I guess I'll see you later, Tennis Ball."

"Until then." Slade's eye gazed at a nearby mirror. He found it hard to admit, but when that silly girl offered her heart to him, it was rather touching. He could still see the rust mark down the copper side of his mask, where a tear fell.

Next Episode: First Trip to Tokyo–See what "Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo" would have been if the Muse got to come along.


	18. First Trip to Tokyo

Episode 16: First Trip to Tokyo

Note: I know there may not have been a Murisaki Shikibu, but let's just assume for this story that she was real. And if you're veteran readers, I did make slight modifications in "Invocation" that would make this fall more in line.

One sunny summer afternoon, the Muse's Titan communicator went off. She picked it up to see Robin's face. "Hello, Robin."

"Hey Muse. Listen, you're coming over this weekend, right?"

"Yeah, uh, the guys, Static and Gear, you know, they're both kinda busy right now. Static's planning a wedding, and Gear is working with Batman somewhere on something. I don't have a lot of details. And Mommy had to go out of town, too. Anyway, Starfire asked me if I would like to spend the weekend at the tower so that I wouldn't be lonely. Uh, I mean alone. Why, you don't mind, do you?"

"No, I don't mind, but I'm afraid there's a bit of a change in plans. We've had a situation here, and . . . well, long story short, we have to go to Japan to chase a villain."

"We're going to Japan! Oh, great! This will be–"

"Uh, Muse, sorry to disappoint you, but I wasn't expecting to take you along. I was just wondering if you would mind going to Titans East for the weekend, and maybe taking Silky with you."

"Oh Robin, please let me go with you! Titans East can look after Silky. I think Japan's going to be my home one day, and I would love to see it. I want to see for myself how the video game market is."

"Wait a minute. Keep in mind, this isn't a vacation. We got serious work here. We have to find someone named Brushogun"

"Well, I am being serious! I'm planning for my future. I gotta get a day job, you know? Something to pay the bills."

Robin raised an eyebrow. "And you think that job's in Japan?"

"Yeah. In fact, I know it is."

Robin paused. "Actually . . . come to think of it . . . I think you would be helpful if we took you. See, I was interrogating the villain we captured, Saico-Tek, in the back room. He mentioned Brushogun to me, and then he flipped into a sprinkler and just disappeared. We came up with all sorts of theories about how he could have done that, but nothing makes sense. He left behind this." Robin held up a pink ball. "Cyborg ran an analysis on it and came up with an inconclusive result. But I just thought, maybe he was a hologram, something like what's produced by your powers."

"Whoa, I didn't do it, mister."

"Well, I'm not saying that you did. But it maybe something similar to your powers. If Gear were here, he'd probably be able to explain it, but maybe if Cyborg did an analysis on your hat, we'll have a match."

"So, there's nothing specific you need for me to do. You just want me to be there so Cyborg can analyze my hat."

"Well, if we do come up on any villains, I'm sure you'll be able to help. Even if there isn't a match, I bet your powers can be a great counter to these villains' attacks."

"OK."

"I have to tell Cyborg to make an extra cabin on the T-Ship. So maybe we'll be ready to leave tomorrow morning."

"Alright, I'll get packing and come down as soon as I can." She signed off and excitedly ran around the house screaming, "I'M GOING TO JAPAN!"

She quickly got a few things together: toiletries, some emergency clothes, a notepad, a pencil, a Bible, a book on Japan myths, an English to Japanese dictionary, a word search book, some snacks, a CD player, and some CDs. Her mother was the only one who was concerned. "Are you sure you don't need a passport? Vaccinations? Japanese money?"

"I'm sure if I need any of that, the Titans will take care of it. But you're right, I do need some money." She got about $20 out of her bank.

"American money?"

"Mommy, one thousand yen is only worth about $7 in our currency. I'm sure if I gave somebody a dollar, I'd make him rich."

"I don't know if it works like that."

"I'll get it converted if I need to. You'll tape 'Monk' for me, won't you?"

"Of course, honey."

"Thank you." She gave Claire a kiss. "Bye, Mommy."

"Have fun this weekend, Precious."

"You too." She walked out of the house. "Magic!" she said, and instantly she became the Muse. She picked up her suitcase and took to the skies, but the suitcase was too heavy for her to fly high enough. It was hurting her hand, and she nearly dropped it.

"Need some help, sweety?" Claire's voice called up.

"Yeah, I think I could use some." She flew down and handed Claire her suitcase. "Thanks."

"Hey, that's what a sidekick is for." The Muse flew, and Claire followed down below in her car. Upon reaching the tower, they said goodbye again.

The next morning, the trip commenced. The Muse started working on a word search. As they cleared the continent, Starfire's voice came over her headphones. "Oh Muse, I am so joyful that you are able to come with us!"

"Yeah, I am too. I'm so excited. Just think, we're going to what's going to be my home one day."

"How do you know this is going to be your home?" Raven asked. "Have you seen the future?"

"Well, I haven't actually seen it, but I know. It's a long story."

"It's not like we're going anywhere."

"Uh, I've always wanted to live in Japan. See, it's my dream to be an RPG writer."

"What is an R . . . P . . . G?" Starfire asked.

"It's short for Role Playing Game."

"Or very wussy video games," Cyborg said.

"Hey, that's my dream you're talking about!"

"Well, it's just my opinion."

"Hey dude, I bet the Muse would make an awesome RPG," Beast Boy said. "It would have lots of magic and action and strange creatures and fighting!" Then he imitated karate-like grunts.

"I do have some ideas. I hope Japan will help me think of some more. I mean, most of the ideas that I've had lately are just superhero stuff . . . and thinking about what life is like for RB on the road, but that's kinda personal. When I try to think of a plot for a game, it just feels like a rip off of the Ultimate Dream or Castle of Hope. I guess I need my muse to strike me."

"Wait, your muse? Dude, I thought you were the Muse."

"Yeah, I just mean my spirit of imagination. It's a figure of speech. I just need inspiration."

"Oh. I get it, I think."

"Anyway, Japan is the number one supplier of video games in the world. It's the perfect place for me to pursue my dream."

"But I don't understand," Starfire said. "Do you not want to be the Muse anymore?"

"I do want to be the Muse, Starfire. I just need a day job for my secret identity. Crime fighting doesn't pay, you know."

"It doesn't?"

"No. Even Batman has a day job, right Robin?"

Robin was studying a map, and her question caught him off guard. "Huh? Oh. Yeah, he does do some stuff. I shouldn't say too much about that."

"Of course. Say, what do you all plan to do when you aren't teens anymore, besides hero stuff?"

"Well, back in the day, I wanted to be a professional football player," Cyborg said. "But I guess I can't be that now. I guess I'd make a good engineer."

"I was thinking about being a vet and an animal conservationist," Beast Boy said. "I think I could still do that. Who's better to take care of animals than someone who's a bit of an animal himself?"

"My plans were to help out on Earth for a time, before my destiny was fulfilled," Raven answered. "Now that it didn't turn out the way I thought it would, I haven't really made any plans. I thought about going back to Azerath and following in my mother's footsteps, but I don't want to leave Earth."

"My plans are as hazy as a Zopian moon as well," Starfire said. "I was to be second in line to the throne at Tamaran, but I gave that up when I chose to live on Earth. I will find something, I'm sure."

"How about you, Robin?" the Muse asked.

"I am a hero, nothing more," he replied.

"But what about a job?"

"I'll think about that when the time comes. I'm not very worried, though."

The Muse guessed he wasn't. Robin's probably expecting an inheritance from Mr. Wayne anyway.

They didn't do much talking after that. They paused once at a rest stop. Aqualad spotted the T-Ship and sent a greeting. Beast Boy did some horsing around taking pictures of everyone. The Muse just worked on her word search, listened to music, and munched on something when she got hungry. Before long, they were there. They got off in the countryside just in front of the city.

"Told you it was a left at Hawaii," Cyborg joked.

"Wow, it's big," the Muse said. "I mean, I've heard it was big before, but I had no idea it was this big."

"And it's beautiful!" Starfire said.

"Yeah, it's like the biggest Christmas tree ever.

"It may look nice, but don't forget, something's rotten down there," Robin said.

Suddenly, Beast Boy jumped out to the T-Ship in a bright pink shirt, shorts, and sunglasses. "Helloooooooo Japan!" he cried. "When do we get to see the Great Wall?"

"You mean The Great Wall of . . . China?" the Muse asked.

"Oh, yeah."

"I know that's an important site and all, but even if that was in Tokyo, I don't know if we'd ever have time to see it. There are like a million places in that city worth seeing. Sony, Nintendo, Kaiba Corp., not to mention all the superheroes here, like the Sailor Scouts and the Cardcaptors."

"Nah, that's small potatoes. What we really need to see is the world famous number one greatest most awesome Japanese comic book company, Wakamono Shukan!" He pointed to a huge building almost right in front of them.

"Uh-huh. Impressive."

"Well, come on!" Beast Boy began dragging everyone toward the building. "We gotta take the tour. We can't be on vacation and miss–"

"We're not on vacation!" Robin yelled. "Both of you need to remember we're heroes, not tourists. Saving Tokyo is going to have to come before sightseeing, even if it is planning for your future. We have to find Brushogun and bring him to justice. Since we are guests, we must be on our best behavior."

Beast Boy shrugged. "We're not going to get in trouble."

The rest of the Titans were already heading toward the city. "By the way, Beast Boy, for future reference, Japanese comics are called 'manga.'"

"Yeah, I knew that."

"Actually, manga is graphic novels," Raven added.

"Close enough, right?" the Muse said.

They made it into the city. The bright lights looked even brighter close up, and the Muse felt like the city swallowed her whole.

"Toky-whoa!" Beast Boy gasped.

"Now I know how Dorothy felt," the Muse whispered. "Goodbye Kansas."

"What?" Starfire said.

"Oh, it's a movie reference. You need to see 'The Wizard of Oz' sometime."

"Where do we go now?" Raven asked.

Robin held up a guide to Japan. "The roughest part of town is the Shinjoukou district. We'll start there."

"And which way do we go?" Cyborg asked.

"I don't know," Robin said. "I can't read Japanese, so the signs aren't helping."

"No problem. We'll just ask for directions," Beast Boy said. He pulled a guy over and asked the way, but he spoke in Japanese. Beast Boy smiled and nodded as if he knew what the man was talking about, but once he got away he said, "I had no idea what he just told me."

"Maybe next time you should find someone who can speak English," Raven said.

"Great suggestion. You pick them out for me."

"Hang on, I came prepared," the Muse said. She pulled out her English to Japanese dictionary. "Yikes!" she cried when she opened it. "It's not transliterated! Hang on, there's gotta be a pronunciation guide. Here it is. I'll handle this." She pulled a boy aside. "Excuse me, young man. Um . . ." But from there she stuttered syllables and flipped through pages so that it took her about five minutes to say that one question. The boy just shook his head and said something. Even though the Muse wasn't exactly sure what, she thought it was something along the lines of him not understanding. She sighed. "Maybe I'll say it right the second time."

"Perhaps I can be of assistance," Starfire offered as she walked between the Muse and the boy. Then, quite unexpectedly, Starfire gave the boy a long kiss on the lips. All the Titans looked at her in shock. Robin head looked like it was about to explode. Then she let go and asked the boy a question in fluent Japanese. He pointed out the way. She bowed and said, "Domo arrigato." The boy sighed and went on his way.

"Starfire," Robin asked, "why did you just kiss that guy?"

"Oh. Tamaranians are able to learn any language instantaneously through lip contact."

"Wow," the Muse said. "That sounds . . . convenient."

They followed Starfire in the way the boy pointed, but suddenly crowds of people ran by them screaming. "They said a monster is coming!" Starfire said.

Around the corner, a huge dragon monster stomped in, breaking through the power lines. "Whoa, all those cheesy Japanese action movies are true!" Beast Boy said in awe.

"Titans, go!" Robin ordered. Everybody attacked the monster. Cyborg made a huge hole through the monster's middle, but it regenerated in a flash of colors.

"Same power as Saico-Tek!" Cyborg said.

"It must also be from Brushogun," Robin observed

"So this is where you need me," asked the Muse.

"Use your powers to see if you can make it disappear. Otherwise, try to get a sample from it, like a scale or something."

So the Muse did. She tried to imagine him gone, but it didn't work. She created bright bursts of light, and it helped distract the monster from destroying more buildings, but nothing more. She used a lot of her normal techniques of creating illusions, but they weren't helping either. She even tried containing him in a bubble, but he got free. "Oh, I wish Ragnarok were here. I've become so used to working with him!" The only sample they managed to get was a big green splotch of mucus on Beast Boy's pink shirt, but he threw it away.

Just when things were getting too out of hand, police vehicles surrounded the monster. One man in a brown trench coat came out and ordered, "Troopers, charge!" Hundreds of policemen came out and shot the monster with laser guns. They set up some kind of electronic devices around the monster. The stranger activated it with something, the Muse wasn't sure if it was a sword or a golf club, and it created a containment field of light around the monster.

"Wow, that just seemed so easy," the Muse thought. "Why wasn't he here earlier?"

The man turned to the heroes and bowed. "You are the Teen Titans. Welcome to Japan. I am Commander Uehara Daizo of the Tokyo Troopers."

The other Titans returned his bow. The Muse was still marveling at the containment field to notice. Cyborg whispered "psst!" at her. "Oh, I'm sorry," the Muse said quickly as she bowed as well.

"Thank you very much for your help, Commander," Robin said.

"Commander?" the man laughed. "You may call me Daizo. We are all friends. Come with me. I will honor you with a tour of our headquarters and our home." He led them to the Tokyo Troopers headquarters and bragged about how he kept his soldiers in good fighting condition daily. "My highly advanced command center has reduced crime in Tokyo by 200. Not bad, hmm?"

Most of the Titans approached the high-tech command center in amazement. Only the Muse looked at it from the outside. She couldn't believe what she just heard. She looked down at the floor and sighed.

"What is wrong, my young friend?" Daizo asked as he gently put his hand on her shoulder.

"Well, I was hoping to move to Tokyo in a few years. Does this mean . . . I won't be welcomed?"

Daizo laughed heartily. "Of course, child! You will always be welcomed to Tokyo as an honored guest. You just won't necessarily be needed. You can give your powers a rest and rely on us to keep Tokyo safe."

The Muse nodded and tried to smile, but that didn't really help cheer her up. In fact, it only made her feel worse.

"Daizo, with your permission, I would like to use this technology to help us complete our mission."

"You are welcomed, my friend," Daizo answered graciously. "And what is your mission?"

"We are tracking a criminal who calls himself Brushogun."

Daizo laughed again. "Forgive me, but you are ignorant of our culture. Brushogun is merely a myth. I fear you have come a long way for nothing. We have everything under control down here."

"Then why did you wait so long to get that monster under control?" the Muse blurted out.

"I was curious to see what you can do. I acknowledge that we offer great apologies to Tokyo for not being efficient enough this time, but when we saw that you needed our help, we came as quickly as we could."

"But Saico-Tek said–" Robin started.

"I'm sorry, I do not know who that is," Daizo said quickly. Suddenly, the mayor arrived, thanked Daizo for taking care of things, and gave him a medal. Daizo turned to the Titans and said, "Enjoy your stay in Tokyo, but remember here you are merely tourists. Leave the law enforcement to us."

They went outside. Everybody was down in the dumps, but the Muse felt pretty depressed. "Tokyo doesn't need a girl with big wings and superpowers. There's nothing for her to do." She sighed. "So much for my dream."

"Why are you giving up so quickly?" Starfire asked.

"Starfire, how would you feel if you were told that you can stay on Earth as long as you never flew again? If I can't be a superhero here, what's the point?" She sighed again. "Maybe I could pursue my dream in Las Vegas, though I don't really want to go there."

"Why not?" Cyborg asked.

"It's not called Sin City for nothing!" she yelled.

Robin meanwhile was muttering about feeling like an idiot for being led on a wild goose chase. Suddenly, Beast Boy jumped up. "Hey dudes, I know where we need to go!" He led them to . . . the comic book factory.

"I thought you were leading us on a clue about Brushogun!" Robin said angrily.

"Hello? Daizo said he's not real, so while we're here, we might as well take the tour." He ran enthusiastically to the factory and hit the door.

"The sign says 'Closed,' " Starfire told him.

"Oh, it's not fair!" Beast Boy yelled.

"Let's just go home," Robin muttered.

"Are you crazy?" Cyborg yelled. "We're in Tokyo, man! We got to do some sightseeing!"

"What's the point?" the Muse groaned.

"Snap out of it, girl!" Cyborg yelled at her. "Even if you aren't going to live here, you can't miss out on your one chance to see one the most famous cities on Earth!"

"Yeah!" Beast Boy said. "Besides, that's what vacations are for."

"Whatever," Raven and the Muse said at the same time. The Muse took off. She flew above the town for a little while, just thinking. Then she remembered that there was still business to be done. She landed on the street next to Cyborg, who seemed engrossed in a Japan guide. "Hey Cyborg, I remember that there was something Robin wanted us to do." She took off her Magic Hat and handed it to him. "He wanted you to scan this and see if it matched your findings on that pink device that other villain left. It may give us some more answers."

"Mmm-hmm," Cyborg replied, not turning around.

"Cyborg? Are you listening to me?"

He looked up in front of him. "Boo-yah!" he cried. "That's the only Japanese I need to know!" He pointed to a sign and read, "All you can eat!" He started running to the building where that sign stood. Then he turned around. "Muse, you wanna come with? Nothing cheers you up like a bit of wasabi."

"Thanks, but no thanks," she replied. She never was really fond of Chinese food, and something told her that she wouldn't like Japanese food much either, especially sushi. "But what about this?" She held out the Magic Hat again.

"Yeah, yeah, we'll take care of that after I've had a quick bite." He disappeared into the restaurant. The Muse put back on her hat and whispered the charm again. From what she heard from the other Titans, Cyborg could eat tons of food for days if he wanted to.

She saw a video arcade across the street. She went inside to see what was popular. Everybody was paying attention to Starfire, who had a virtual reality helmet on her head and a guitar in her hands. She was playing some coordination-heavy dancing game that was all the rage, and she was doing quite well. She took off the helmet and cheered when she saw the score. Then she spotted the Muse in the crowd. "Oh Muse, you must play this game!" she said happily. "I do not know if it is an RPG, but it is great fun. I felt like I was in a room full of dancing colors and music and it was wondrous!"

"Uh, thanks Starfire, but I'm not really good at games like this. Too much coordination."

"Oh. Well, can you show me a game that you like? An RPG, perhaps?"

"I don't know if there would be one here. Oh, here's a pretty good game. This tiny alien rolls up a lot of junk to make new planets." She pulled out a quarter of her pocket, but it wouldn't fit in the slot. "I guess American money won't work here."

"Hey Starfire," Robin called.

"Coming Robin," she answered. She went over to him, and he said something quietly to her. She giggled. She waved to the Muse, and they walked off. The Muse just watched them and then turned back to the screen, watching the demo of the tiny alien scurry across the streets of Tokyo.

Suddenly, her communicator beeped. She opened it and saw Raven's face. "Muse, you got to come down here. There's something you need to see."

"I'm on my way." She traced Raven's coordinates and flew toward there. It turned out, though, that Raven was in the air, waving for the Muse. "What is it?"

"Come and see." She flew down, and the Muse joined her. She hadn't seen Raven in a mood like this before. They landed in a country area. The Muse gave a small gasp when they got off. They stood in front of an impressive shrine, and outside there was a beautiful bronze statue of a woman with long hair, her dreamy eyes looking to the heavens. "You know who that is, don't you?" Raven asked.

"Yeah, I've seen her face in a social studies book. That's Murisaki Shikibu! She's credited with writing the world's first novel, 'The Tale of Genji.' Oh, where is Beast Boy with his camera when you need him? I thought her shrine is up in Kyoto."

"It is. I guess a local artist just crafted this sculpture in her memorial. You know, in her time, women did not have a lot of rights. I'm sure people told her all the time that there were things she couldn't do because of who she was."

"Well yeah, but her father went against tradition and got her a male education. She learned to read and write poetry."

"That's true, but she still must have face must opposition. And yet, her spirit was bursting with dreams. She didn't listen to what others said, and she shared her dreams with everyone. And because of that, she changed literature forever."

"Yeah, she did."

"Now, who says you can't do the same? Don't be discouraged by what that commander said. Dreams are worth too much to be thrown away."

"You're right. You're right. I can still have a future here in Japan. Maybe I can convince the Tokyo Troopers to use me. Hey, maybe I could join the Tokyo Troopers. I'm sure Commander Daizo would be happy to have me."

"Perhaps. We shouldn't look too far ahead. Just don't give up on yourself because of one little setback. I was just hoping this would strike your muse a little bit."

"Well, yeah, I guess it does a little bit."

Raven gave a small smile. Then, she put her hood up and floated away.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"I'm looking for something I can read."

"Sounds good. Can I come with?"

"I suppose." They went back to the city and approached a newsstand. "I know English, German, Romanian, ancient Sumerian, and Sanskrit," Raven told the man behind the desk who was eating noodles. "Do you have anything I can read?" He reached under the counter and gave her a stick of gum. She read the label, which was in English. "Super Twinkle Donkey Gum." The Muse laughed. The newsstand man winked at Raven. Raven growled and put the gum in her mouth.

"Is it good?" the Muse said, still laughing.

"Taste like green apple," Raven answered.

"Well, ok. Oh hey look! A Sudoku puzzle book!" The Muse picked up a book with the familiar number grid on the front.

"You sure that'll be of any use?"

"Raven, numbers are the universal language. I think I'll get two. Ragnarok likes these." She picked up a couple off the stand and handed a dollar to the man.

"That's an American dollar."

"I know. It should be more than enough." The man just looked at it for a while, then he went back eating his noodles. So they went on. "Hey, you want to find a place where we can work on one? I find that Sudokus are more fun and faster to do if you do them with a friend."

"No thanks. I need to find a book about Brushogun, find out what exactly his myth is about."

"Oh wait! I got a book of Japanese myths from a yard sale! I only flipped through it, but I never saw anything about Brushogun. I think I left it in the T-Ship. You think it will be helpful if I go get it?"

"I think it probably would."

"Alright, I'll go and meet you again." She started flying toward where they parked. On the way, she passed Beast Boy who seemed to be running for his life. "Beast Boy, what's up?"

"Can't talk now. Chasing 'otaku' girl," he huffed.

"Otaku?"

"It's what she called me. It means cute."

"Well, I thought the Japanese word for 'cute' is 'kawaii.'"

"I don't know. I'm sure 'otaku' is still a complement." He stopped. The brunette girl in front of them turned around, gave Beast Boy a wink, and ran into a building. Beast Boy followed, and just to see what would happen, she went in after him. Beast Boy walked onto a stage. Suddenly, a spot fell on him, and a crowd was chanting, "Go! Go! Go!" Beast Boy was handed a microphone, and music came out of nowhere. Beast Boy frantically switched the lyrics until they were English. They were very badly translated. The Muse recognized the tune; it was the beeping noise her communicator made, but the lyrics were absolutely ridiculous. Once he was done, he was tackled by fan girls. "I love this town!" he said deliriously.

The Muse then picked up the microphone. "Well, that song was . . . new." She was trying very hard to suppress her wish to say out loud that it was the worst song she had ever heard. "Hey, do you have any songs by Blue Man Group? How about 'Up to the Roof'? That's a good song. Or maybe 'I Feel Love'?" The girls were all screaming. Even with the microphone, they couldn't hear her. "Hey, please yell if you are paying attention!" They were still screaming, and since they were already screaming she thought it probably didn't count. "OK, let me just ask you something. If I sing a song, will you sing along?" Nobody even looked in here direction, and she added softly, "Or will I just be singing right here by myself?" She sighed, dropped the microphone, and walked out.

She went down the street and checked if Cyborg was ready, but he was still stuffing his face. "The sign says, 'All you can eat,' and I can eat more!" she heard him tell a chef.

"Well, it's probably still gonna be a while." Then she remembered her errand and flew back to the T-Ship. She picked up the myth book and a pencil. As she was flying back to the place where Raven was, she saw a huge, impressive structure. "Tokyo Tower! I can't leave here without seeing that." She thought about sitting up there near the top and starting a Sudoku. Then she spotted some other people there. "Hey, that's Robin and Starfire." She flew down about to join them, and then she saw the two of them drawing closer together. They kept getting closer and closer, and then their faces drew close together. Suddenly, the Muse's heart lurched. She couldn't look at them, and she flew far away. She sat on top of a tall apartment complex and tried to work on a Sudoku, but her heart was too hurt. She started crying a little bit.

She stayed up there for about half an hour. Then Starfire joined her. "Why Muse," she said, "what are you doing up here all by yourself?"

The Muse looked up from her puzzle book. "Where's your boyfriend?" she said in a grumble.

"Which friend who is a boy do you mean, Robin, Beast Boy, or Cyborg?"

"I don't know, whoever you were smooching with at the tower?"

"Oh, you saw?"

"I saw everything."

Starfire sat next to the Muse and bowed her head. "Robin has gone to look for Brushogun." She looked at the Muse's face. "Muse, what is wrong? Have you been crying?"

"I am lonely, Starfire."

"'Lone-lee?' Forgive me, I do not know this word. We do not have it on Tamaran."

"It's a sad, empty feeling in my heart. It's the worst feeling in the world. It's the emotion you get when you feel like . . . you don't have any friends."

"Oh, Muse! How can you say such a thing? You have many friends all around you!"

"I know, I know. I can't explain it. I've counted my blessings. I've got great friends, a loving mother, God's grace, a little money, good health, a TV, video games, a computer, tons of books, and a job that I love. But I still feel like something's missing, and I don't know what it is. Don't get me wrong. I'm happy for you and Robin. I think you're a good match for each other. But something about seeing you up there just hurt me for some reason. It made me lonely."

"Perhaps you feel so because you are without the one person you like more than anyone else in the world. You miss the Ragnarok."

"Well, yeah I do, but I don't think . . ."

Starfire sighed. "If that is the case, I suppose I feel the lone-lee too. I did not make lip contact with Robin again. He told me he was a hero, nothing more, and he didn't have time . . ."

"But we are something more! We're people, just like everybody else! We have needs and feelings. If we are the heroes, who will be the heroes for us?"

"What you say is true. I know Robin knows this is as well, and I will make him realize it."

The Muse stood up and looked at the city. "I was just thinking, maybe it's not a good idea for me to come back here to live."

"Why not? Are you still worried of what Daizo said?"

"No, Raven helped me with that. But I'm just not sure that I'll ever feel at home here. If I stay here, I'll be far away from all my friends, and there's no telling if I'll ever see them again."

"You'll make new friends! That's what I did here. I do not feel the lone-lee although I am far from my home."

"But everybody here has more or less ignoring me. All the Titans split up to do their own thing. When I tried to join Beast Boy at the karaoke thing, nobody even noticed that I was there."

"I am sure it will be easier when you learn the language. Just smile, and you'll find people to talk to who likes the same things as you."

"Easier said than done, at least for us humans. By the way, Starfire, I was wondering. If a kiss on the lips is all it takes for your race to learn a language, why do you have so much trouble with English, and why does it sound so blended with Tamaranian?"

"Yes, I have wondered that as well. My sister Blackfire seems to speak better English than I. Sometimes I wonder if I did not make lip contact long enough and lost some of the language. Or maybe there are just words in English and Tamaranian that do not translate. But I think the greatest reason is that I do not want to let go of my home and my culture. Perhaps in the deepest part of my heart, Tamaran is still my home, and it always will be. And I do get the sick for the home feeling sometimes, but I am mostly glad of that. As long as I love Tamaran, I never truly leave home, for I will always carry Tamaran, my knorfka, and all of my loved ones in my heart. You see?"

The Muse nodded. "I think so."

Starfire reached out her hand. "Come. Why don't we help Robin together? Then we won't feel the lone-lee anymore."

"OK." They flew down together, but they immediately both gasped in horror. A mug shot of Robin appeared on every video billboard. "What's this about?"

The story was that Robin was fighting a villain he identified as Saico-Tek, and Robin murdered him in front of a crowd of onlookers. Commander Daizo found him there next to the body with pink blood all over his gloves. The mayor posted an edict for the Titans to turn themselves in or leave Tokyo at once. Starfire immediately called all the other Titans on her communicator. They agreed to meet at a set point of coordinates to figure out a plan.

"Alright, I'll go that way, you go this way," the Muse told Starfire. "That way if we're being pursued, the villain won't know who to follow."

"Very well. Hurry, Muse!" Starfire took off and flew over the countryside. Meanwhile, the Muse flew low over the city.

Suddenly, she stopped because something caught her eye that confused her. "Murisaki Shikibo's statue? In the middle of the street? How many of these were made?" Then, the statue frowned and stood. She drew a sword and jumped off her pedestal. "Uh oh. The pen may be mightier than the sword, but I bet that sword is still pretty darn mighty!" She kept trying to avoid the attacks, but the statue was very agile. The Muse's attacks seemed to merely bounce off the surface. "Hey, help? Someone? Anybody?" Then, when she was quite unprepared, the statue struck her side. The Muse screamed, fell down, and passed out.

When she opened her eyes, the first thing the Muse saw was a black staring into her face. She raised her arm to shoo it away, but her arm hurt too much. She groaned and put it down. "Oh, I think she's awake!" the cat suddenly said as it hopped off.

"Huh?" the Muse said.

"Well, it's about time!" a female voice said. The Muse turned her head and saw three pairs of socked feet heading toward her. The people then knelt down to her level. "How you holding up, hon?"

The Muse looked closer at her. "You're Sailor Moon!"

"That's riiiiiight!" she answered.

"I guess she's coming around pretty good," another girl said.

The Muse thought that must be another sailor scout, but when she looked at her it took her a little while to recognize her. "Sakura, the Cardcaptor?"

"Yep."

The other visitor leaned over her, and she recognized him by his puzzle. "Yugi Moto!"

He extended his hand to her and said in a deep voice, "It is an honor to meet you."

"Um, same here. I had no idea you guys could really speak English."

"Oh, I activated the Language Card," Sakura explained. "It's translating for us."

"Oh, I see. So, what are you doing together?"

"We are the Underground Tokyo Troopers Resistance Movement," the black cat, who must have been Luna, replied.

"But you're the heroes of Japan. Why aren't you out there?"

"Hello!" a voice said. The little Keroberyls flew in front of her face. "'Underground' means we're in hiding!"

"Wait, you're fighting the good guys?"

"Trust us, the Tokyo Troopers are not the good guys," Sakura answered.

"They put us out of a job," Sailor Moon added. "Commander Daizo acted like he was happy for us and he was proud for the work we did as heroes, but then he was all about taking over the show. He pretty much made it illegal for us doing what he said was his job."

"We tried to explain that we were just trying to help," Sakura said.

"We tried to tell them that we were the only ones who were destined to restore the cosmic balance, but he would not listen," Yugi explained.

"What did he do?" the Muse asked.

"Let's just say that your friend Robin isn't the first hero Daizo arrested."

Yugi and Sakura both looked at Sailor Moon who groaned and threw down her fists. "I was just doing my job, using all my powers to defeat this blue guy, and instead of becoming moon dust, he exploded. And Commander Dumbo took me prison, and I was so humiliated! And this blue stuff still won't come out!" For the first time, the Muse spotted numerous blue splotches on Sailor Moon's uniform. "I've bleached it and everything. It's worse than permanent ink!"

"Ink? You think maybe that's what it is?"

"No, I was just comparing–"

She sat up a little and looked at it closer. "That's cyan. When we were fighting Godzilla, or whatever that was, Cyborg shot him with a sonic cannon, and the hole flashed yellow, magenta, cyan, and then his normal color. Those are the ink colors they put in printers. I know because a message comes up whenever I try to print something that says those inks are running low. I think that's ink."

"Well, if that's true, then what Lei was saying is right," Sakura spoke up.

"Oh no, don't say it," Sailor Moon said.

"These new criminals who just now appeared are–"

"I'm serious! Don't say it!"

"They're from Brushogun?" Yugi said.

Sailor Moon groaned loudly and hid her face.

"So Brushogun is real?" the Muse asked.

"Oh yeah, he's real alright," Sailor Moon said. "He's almost impossible to beat!"

"We've all been up against him," Sakura said. "He's very powerful. Then some time ago, he just disappeared. We thought somebody vanquished him at last. That's about when Commander Daizo took over."

"But who is Brushogun?" the Muse asked.

"Sailor Mercury did some research on him," Yugi said. "He's ancient, been around for centuries."

"So he's immortal?"

"We're not sure," Kero said. "He sounds like he's one of those villains that is around for a while, then he's vanquished, and then he's revived years later."

"According to legend, he was an artist who just yearned to make his creations real," Sakura said. "So he turned to black magic to achieve his dream. It worked, but like a lot of dark magic spells, it came with a curse. It turned him into a blob of living ink and gave him the power to create alive drawings at will."

"The poor dear," Luna said. "He never really had a bad heart. The evil of the spell has a grip on him that he can't control."

"Well, is there anything we can do?" the Muse asked.

"Sailor Mars and Lei were both searching for a spell," Sailor Moon answered, "but then Brushogun vanished and Commander Dizto took over, and they left!"

"You mean, they're gone?"

"Out of the country," Yugi answered. "Several Japanese heroes left the country when Daizo became too powerful. Some even left the universe."

"We're just a few of those who decided to stay behind," Sakura said.

"So that we could take Commander Dorko down!" Sailor Moon yelled.

"Actually, it's because we still have a destiny to fulfil here," Yugi said.

"Yeah, but while we're here . . ."

The Muse sat up higher. "Can you guys tell me something?"

"Yeah?" Sakura answered.

"What is it?" Yugi asked.

"I've been thinking about living in Tokyo in a few years. You guys stayed, even with Daizo oppressing you. Do you think it's worth it for me to come back?"

"No. There's no place for a superhero down here," Sailor Moon answered.

"But I really want to be an RPG writer. It's my dream."

"Then I'm afraid you'll have to make a choice," Yugi told her. "If you want to pursue your dream, this is the place to do it. But if you want to stay a hero, you probably should go home."

"But . . . home will always be in my heart."

"Try telling that to the Tokyo Troopers," Kero scoffed.

The Muse sighed. "Then maybe I should just head back. Where are the rest of the Titans?"

"Oh, we took care of them," Luna explained. "They were each attacked, but we rescued them and sent them to a safe haven. We just kept you because you were so injured."

"What about Robin?"

"Didn't you hear?" Sailor Moon answered. "He escaped!"

"He did?"

"Yeah, his armored car just blew up in the middle of the highway. The Tokyo Troopers almost caught him again in a disguise, but Starfire rescued him and took him to the safe point."

"I guess that's where I need to go, then." She got up.

"Oh darling, are you sure you're well enough?" Luna asked.

"Healed or not, I gotta go. You guys wanna come with? If we do find Brushogun, I bet we could use your powers. Beast Boy would just freak out to see y'all. See, ever since we came here, he's been talking about going to that big manga factory on the edge of town."

"You mean Wakamono Shukan?" Sakura asked. "That would be a waste of time."

"Yeah, I know. When we went down there, it was closed."

"It's not just closed. It's shut down," Sailor Moon said. "We know because they used to do our mangas, but they haven't done any business with us in months. All because of the decline of heroism since you-know-who came along."

"Really?" The Muse thought. "A comic book maker shuts down because . . . that's the best place to get ink! I know where Brushogun is! Come on, let's go tell the Titans!" It didn't take them long to find the Titans because all the Tokyo troopers and about half of Tokyo's population were chasing the heroes. "Guys! I know where Brushogun is!"

"Who are they?" Robin asked pointing behind her.

"Oh, these are Sailor Moon, Sakura, and Yugi. You don't mind if they come along, do you?"

Beast Boy gave a delirious groan, put his hand over his heart, and passed out.

"I told you he wasn't going to take this well," the Muse muttered back at the others. "Come on, Beast Boy, get up. We're going to that comic book factory you wanted to go to."

Raven slapped his face, and Beast Boy perked up. "We're going to Wakamono Shukan? All of us?"

"Sure. You don't expect us to miss out, do you?" Sailor Moon answered.

"That's where Brushogun is?" Robin asked.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure of it. See, Brushogun is–"

"We know," Raven answered. "I found the book on him."

"Well, let's not waste any time. Let's go where the ink runs free!"

So they made a beeline to the comic book factory. Robin used an explosive device to get in. The placed seemed completely empty at first, but then they heard a low groan. The heroes slowly approached a door on the other side of the room, then they broke the door down. "Freeze!" Robin ordered, but there was no on there either. They found an elaborate chair surrounded by monitors, but nobody wasn't sitting in it. "Brushogun isn't here."

There was a loud groan. A printing press near the monitored chair opened, and sitting in it was an old man. "I am," he replied feebly.

"You're Brushogun?" the Muse asked.

"Yes," he replied. "It is good to meet you at last."

"So, you're not the one behind all this, are you?" Robin asked. "You're–"

"His prisoner. He trapped me here in this cursed printing press that uses my powers against my will. My creations do his bidding."

"Luna was right. You're not bad," Sailor Moon said. "Then why all this time did you–?"

"Doing evil, serving the darkness that has ensnared me, was the only thing keeping me alive. I've let it master me for too long. Please, children, accept my most humble apologies."

"But why did you send Saico-Tek to destroy our home?" Cyborg asked.

"It was the only way I could call for help. I know the natives here wouldn't be happy with me, so I sent Saico-Tek as a messenger. If he attacked you, it would give you reason to come here and find me."

"Then why did you send Saico-Tek again?" Robin asked.

"Saico-Tek was printed twice. I sent the first, but he sent the second, as a trap."

"But if you are merely the brush, who tells you what to paint?" Raven asked.

"That would be me," a voice coming from the chair answered. "I must say, Titans, you are most formidable adversaries. Others have fled before me, but you have been quite persistent. Once I erase you, perhaps I will print copies of you to serve me, hm?"

Sakura gasped.

"Show yourself, coward!" Starfire ordered.

"There's only one person who would gain from creating criminals and driving real heroes away–the hero who captures them! Isn't that right, Commander?"

The chair turned toward them, and Commander Daizo was indeed sitting there. "Very good my friend, but you haven't caught me. I've caught you."

"You dog!" Sailor Moon gasped. Daizo snapped his finger, and the group of heroes were suddenly surrounded by Tokyo Troopers.

"Wait a minute," Beast Boy said. "If the good guy was really a bad guy, then that means . . . all right! We're the good guys again!"

"It confirms what we believed all along," Yugi said. "You, Daizo, are a dishonorable fraud. You used Brushogun's powers to make you look like something you're not!"

"And whenever we got too close to truth, you scared us off and made us appear to be the villains!" Sakura added.

"That's a nice story, children, but I doubt anyone will believe it–once you're all behind bars," Daizo replied. "Troopers, charge!"

"Titans, go!" Robin ordered. All the heroes fought the oncoming troopers with their powers.

"This is for locking me up!" Sailor Moon said as she took off her crown. "Moon Tiara Magic!" she yelled as she threw it at her attackers.

"Celtic Guardian, attack!" Yugi ordered as Duel Monsters' character came to life.

"Windy Card, release!" Sakura cried, and a spirit appeared beating all the Trooper back with a strong wind.

During his battle, Robin knocked the helmet off a trooper. The trooper immediately turned to a pool of ink. "Titans, the troopers aren't real!" Robin announced.

"That means we don't have to hold back!" Cyborg realized.

"It almost means there's more where that came from!" Daizo reminded them. He pushed a button. Brushogun screamed as ink came out of his hands and streaked a piece of paper. The ink leapt off the paper and became several dangerous creatures.

"If we keep fighting them, it won't do any good," the Muse thought. "Daizo will just force Brushogun to make more. So I've got to free the source." She flew up to the printing press.

Brushogun looked up at her with hope. "Murasaki!"

"No," the Muse said shaking her head.

"Oh, I loved her! I loved her! I created her likeness so we wouldn't be lonely. I see the same artistic spark in your eyes."

"You said 'artistic?'"

"Yes. You are a creative soul, just as I am."

"Well, I think your creativity never runs dry, does it?"

"No, but look at what it cost me."

"How do I get you free? Do I just take these things on your back?" She pulled one off. Brushogun screamed. "Oh no! Did that hurt?"

"When you take off a chain you've been wearing a long time, it does hurt, but it also feels so good."

"OK, then. I'll keep at it."

Meanwhile, Robin was confronting Daizo just above them. Daizo looked down and saw what the Muse was doing. "NO!" he screamed. He jumped down into the printing press. Brushogun screamed even louder. His eyes glowed blue, and he vomited ink. The earth was shaking underneath them as pipes shot out of the ground. The Muse held tightly to Brushogun. She didn't care that he was ruining her clothes. She had to continue. A monster grew around them, entirely made of ink. It shouted with Daizo's voice, "The power is mine!"

"What do I do?" the Muse asked.

"Continue to release me. Without me, he is nothing."

So the Muse continued to pull off the pipes that connected Brushogun to Daizo, yet the monster didn't seem to get any weaker. The ink began to draw her in. They were both sinking. The monster laughed with evil glee.

"Muse!" Starfire and Raven cried at the same time. They flew toward the monster, and he caught them with tentacle-like pipes. He kept the other heroes from attacking.

The monster laughed again with triumph. Then suddenly, he stopped. "Huh?" he said. The creatures he created began to melt, and he also started dripping.

"The spell is breaking!" Raven said aloud.

"How?" Sakura asked.

The monster screamed until he became one large ocean of ink. The heroes all got up and brushed themselves off. "What happened?" Robin asked.

But soon, everyone saw. A pile of ink bubbled, and when it popped, the Muse was sitting there cradling a free Brushogun in her arms. "Thank you. You set me free," he said weakly. "Now, at last I can rest in peace."

"No, don't die!" the Muse said. "You can be good. I know you're good inside. There's gotta be a spell somewhere that will take the evil out of you."

"No, there is not. But I will live on as long as you continue to create and keep the creative spark alive in your heart. If you keep creating, you will never be alone" He slipped her hands in hers. The Muse thought she felt something cross between them, and he disappeared. A rain storm came and washed the ink away.

The Muse looked over and saw Robin talking to Starfire. "Maybe I was wrong before. Maybe a hero isn't all that I am. Maybe I could be, maybe we could be–"

"Robin?" Starfire answered. "Stop talking." Then they drew closer, and they kissed. The Muse couldn't stop herself. She looked down and sighed. Starfire noticed her and approached the girl. "Oh Muse, please do not feel lonely. All your friends are here, and someday someone will want to be more with you too."

"I hope so," she answered doubtfully.

"Yeah. You're pretty 'otaku,'" Beast Boy said.

"You think so?"

"Well, sure," he answered with a shrug.

She smiled. "Thanks, Beast Boy."

The next day, a huge festival was held in their honor. A big gathering of cheering fans filled Tokyo square as the Titans stood on a platform.

"Guess you're not a wanted man anymore," Cyborg said to Robin.

"I wouldn't say that," he replied. He and Starfire were holding hands.

Beast Boy stepped forward, and the stage was suddenly crowded with fan girls. A chef approached Cyborg and revealed a huge table full of sushi.

"Did you also make the new friends while exploring Tokyo?" Starfire asked Raven.

"No, but somehow I became a mascot for gum," Raven replied grimly.

The Muse was standing out apart from everyone, feeling left out for some reason. "Hey Muse!" a boy's voice called. She looked up and saw Yugi, Sakura, and Sailor Moon rushing up to the stage.

"We wanted to give you these for helping us get back to our jobs," Sailor Moon said.

The Muse looked at what they handed her. "Ooh, real Japanese mangas!"

"Huh?" Beast Boy said as he pulled away from the fan girls.

"These are your issues, aren't they?" The Muse opened up the covers. "And you each autographed them!"

Beast Boy groaned and fell down.

She looked over at Beast Boy. "Uh, hey, why don't you give them to him? He's more into comics than I am."

"But what can we give you?" Sakura asked.

"Well, why don't you autograph this?" The Muse pulled out the Sudoku book.

"Sudoku?" Sailor Moon said. "Sailor Mercury loves Sudoku!"

"Yeah, me too!" Yugi said.

"You do?" the Muse asked. "Then do me a favor. See if you can solve puzzle 7. I did it twice, and I'm still stumped."

The Mayor then gave each of the Titans a medal while giving a speech. As he presented the Muse with hers, he said to her privately, "And I understand that you want to come back to Tokyo to live here someday."

"Well, yes I was thinking of that, sir. I would like to come here . . . but only if I am welcomed," (she looked over at the fan girls crowding around Beast Boy) "and if I am needed" (she looked over at Tokyo's native heroes).

"Why of course, girl! Tokyo would gladly accept you with open arms and an open heart. And as long as I am mayor, I say that whenever you come to this town, you will always be a hero."

"And you think I will make new friends here?"

The Mayor laughed. "My dear, once you return, you will instantly have over twelve million friends!" The crowd cheered again. Even the fan girls cheered, and some of them chanted, "Muse! Muse! Muse!" The Muse smiled. She felt a lot better.

"So, I guess we gotta go home now, huh?" Beast Boy asked Robin.

"I am home," the Muse said.

"What!" Cyborg cried. "You're not going back?"

"What will your kenorfka think?" Starfire cried.

"Oh, I am going back there, but I feel like Tokyo can be just as much of a home as Metropolis. Tokyo is in my heart now."

"I'm sure you can get more of it into your heart," Robin said. "You still haven't gone to see the video game factories or found inspiration."

"No, I found inspiration. I realized it as we were fighting Daizo. What better characters and boss fights can be created than what I experienced as a hero? That was some of the coolest stuff. I'm sure people would love to play that."

"Still, I think we could stay for a little longer. After all, even superheroes need a vacation every now and again."

The Muse saw Beast Boy and Cyborg looking pleadingly up at her and looked at the crowd, some still chanting her name. "OK, why not?"

The Titans all cheered, and the Muse could see that the adventure was over, but the fun was just beginning.

Next Episode–Invocation: See how the Muse's life in Japan really turned out.


	19. Invocation

Episode 16: Invocation

Note: I've taken several liberties with Japanese geography, culture, and language. For these, I hope I will be forgiven. Also, I think it's fair to warn you that this is going to discuss a very, very, very dark and disturbing topic. Approach with caution. I'm putting a lot of myself into this chapter, perhaps more than I have ever written, but I want to assure you all that I do not condone this topic nor have I indulged in it.

"Attention: Flight 23-A for Tokyo, Japan will be boarding in five minutes. Once again . . ."

"Well, I guess that's my cue," Precious sighed. She got up from her seat, and everybody stood. She first turned around and hugged Mr. Hawkins. "Bye Mr. H."

"Goodbye, Hon. You do us proud."

"I'll try." She then squeezed Virgil's shoulders. She held him extra-long. She felt a little hand grasp her finger. Precious pulled away and laughed at the little boy in Virgil's arms.

"Say bye-bye to Aunt Precious," Virgil said in a baby-talk voice as he bounced his boy up a little. Precious laughed again. As she got her finger free, she felt a tiny shock on her fingertip.

"Just like his father," she said. She gently ran her fingers though the boy's curls. "I hope I get to see him before he becomes a teen."

"You will," Virgil answered.

"Give my regards to Sharon, will you? I really wish she and Adam were here."

"Once they come back from their honeymoon, we'll tell them you said hi," Mr. Hawkins said.

"Thanks." She then turned and hugged her aunt. "Goodbye, Aunt Maggie."

"Bye, Sweetheart," Aunt Maggie replied softly.

Then Precious hugged Richie, but it was a rather quick hug. "Guess I'll see you soon."

"Uh, yeah, probably so," Richie said with a shrug.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm talking about," Precious said. "You'll see." Then she walked up to Bruce Wayne. He gave her a big bear hug. "Bruce, thank you so much for everything. I can't thank you enough."

"It's no problem at all," he replied. "Now, if you need anything, reimbursement, encouragement, or any other support, you know how to reach me." He winked.

"OK."

"Hey, that goes double for us," Virgil added. "You keep in touch with Richie and me, you hear me girl?"

"I hear ya," Precious nodded. She looked back at Bruce and sighed. "Why couldn't Eli come? Will he even know that I may never see him again?"

"I know, I know, it's unfair. I tried to talk to his parents, but they got other plans. I'll talk to him. I'm sure he'll miss you."

"I'll miss him too." She heard another announcement on the PA, and so she approached the person she wanted to leave the least. Without a word, she put her arms around her mother.

"You'll do fine, Sweetheart," Claire said in her ear. "Just do your best, and don't forget the Lord."

"Yes Mommy." She pulled apart from the hug, but then Precious hugged her again and burst into tears. "Oh, Mommy, Mommy, I love you."

Claire stroked Precious' hair, but then she pulled away. "I love you too, Honey, but you need to get on that plane. You don't want to lose your dream."

Precious nodded. She picked up her handbag full of books and CDs and joined the other passengers lined up in front of the terminal, all the while looking at her family.

Then someone else got in front of her that she recognized–a tall, young man in shades a black trench coat. "You. I need to talk to you," he said in a low voice.

"Terry?" she whispered.

"Uh, actually no. Here, this might help." He took off his shades and revealed a mask.

"Oh, Robin!"

"Shh! Not so loud. I'm not Robin anymore. I go by Nightwing now. I know this is tactless and all, but it's really important."

"What is it?"

"It's about Slade."

"I know all I need to know about Slade. He's gone forever this time."

"Yeah, you'd think that, but that's what we thought last time."

"What do you mean 'last time?'"

The PA came on again, "Attention, Flight 23-A for Tokyo, Japan is now boarding."

"Awwe!" Precious groaned. "Listen, can we talk about this later, on our communicators maybe? I don't want to miss my flight. This is my big dream."

"Alright, but sooner rather than later would be good," Nightwing told her. "In the meantime, look out for dust."

"Dust?" How could she look out for dust? Dust gave her an allergy attack first thing each morning.

"I'll explain when we talk."

"OK, I'll keep that in mind. I'll do my best." She started backing away. "Incidently, where is everybody? I told Starfire that I was going to leave today."

"I know, and they really wanted to come, but you know how things go. But Starfire did wanted me to remind you to be wary of the 'rekmas.'"

"I will. Tell everybody I said 'hi'," Precious called after him. She added softer, "Tell them I wish they could be here."

Once Precious was out of sight, Claire began to cry. "That's my little baby there. My little baby has grown up."

Mr. Hawkins consoled her. "Yeah, I know how it feels," he said softly.

All the crying made Virgil's son cry. "Awwe, now look what you guys did!" Virgil taunted.

On the plane, Precious looked hard at her ticket and the numbers on her seats. She did several double-takes, then she approached the stewardess. "Excuse me, ma'am. I can't seem to find my seat," Precious asked.

The stewardess looked at Precious' ticket. "Oh, honey, you're in First Class."

"I am? Cool. Good ole' Bruce. I gotta remember to thank him again for this. But where is First Class?"

"You just passed it. Here, follow me."

The stewardess showed Precious her seat. Precious made sure that she sat by the window. This was the first time she ever flew in an airplane, and she wanted to see everything. As the plane took off and everything looked as small as ants, Precious whispered, "Goodbye, Dakota. Goodbye, Metropolis. Goodbye, Titan Tower. Goodbye, Gotham City."

Then with a sob in her throat, she said, "Goodbye, America."

She opened a book and tried to read, but she couldn't stop thinking of all that had happened these past few years. They had been eventful, to say the least.

Precious' childhood friends have all grown up and started lives of their own. Virgil married his old friend Daisy and had a son. Everyone expected Richie to follow suit and marry Frieda, but he chose a girl he met in college.

Shenice went to college out of state. No one had heard from her since. Everyone assumed she settled down elsewhere.

No one had heard much of the Teen Titans either. Actually, a new batch of teenagers had become the Teen Titans, but Precious understood that the former group still worked as a team. Precious still kept in touch, mostly through Starfire, but it had been over a year since she had seen them in person. Starfire had warned her previously of the "rekmas," her planet's term for the drifting away of friends. That's why Precious was fighting to stay in contact with them, and she couldn't understand why she knew so little about them.

Adam had become a big star. That song he wrote about Precious turned out to be his first number one, and it got him a platinum album and a Grammy. But he wasn't a one hit wonder. His next album also went platinum. He released a rap remix of the classic disco song that bore his name and did a top notch video (doing his own stunts). It got him a Moon Man. He also did some collaborations that got him some more Grammies. He'd even been offered some movie roles. But the big news was his recent marriage to Sharon. Precious was asked to be a bridesmaid at that wedding. Several celebrities attended, and it was very cool.

Ragnarok was improving. His speech was getting a little better every time he worked with the Muse. Richie did put in the Magic Hat technology into Ragnarok's helmet so that the boy could have more power. However, he did not keep the helmet on 24/7 like the Muse, so his case was always more serious.

Raven was helping him, though. They had become close friends since the whole Trigon incident. When Batman heard of her mental bond with Eli, he sent her to be his tutor. She came to Eli's house in a disguise under the name Raven Smith. She helped him mostly with his verbal skills, but she secretly was teaching him more about the world through their mental connection. At first, she was very cautious to hide her nature, but as she became more comfortable she became careless. After being his tutor for about a year, Eli's sister caught Raven touching Eli's temples and whispering, "Azerath, Metrion, Zinthos." His parents accused Raven of teaching their son with witchcraft and fired her immediately. After that, they became more protective. Therefore, the Muse saw her partner less and less. It really made her sad.

There was a little bit of tragedy too. Uncle Sean suddenly died of a stroke. That was the first time Precious had ever gone to a funeral, and she couldn't stand it. She took one look at her uncle's body and ran out of the funeral parlor crying. She would not come back in.

Claire turned to Bruce for comfort. She often met with Bruce to discuss Precious' future, so she said. Precious wasn't sure what she meant. The school situation had been cleared up. Were they planning something she didn't know about? Was her mother looking for a cure? Did she . . . like Bruce?

What Precious didn't know was that Claire guessed that Bruce was really Batman, and she was trying to get clues about how to become a better sidekick. Alfred gave her a few hints. It seemed nobody really came out and said anything, but a lot was learned anyway. And it was clear that Bruce was somewhat interested in Claire. He took her out to dinner sometimes and took her on walks when everything was quiet and still. Claire wasn't really sure how she felt. She thought Bruce was nice and a good candidate for a new spouse, but she wasn't sure if she was ready for that yet.

In spite of all that, however, Bruce was a huge part of Precious' life. He hired Richie as an intern at the ARC (that's when they revealed identities), and Richie helped to develop a computer chip. It was designed to do the same type of things as the Magic Hat from the inside of the brain. The hypothesis was that in such a way, the process would be done more efficiently and would work quicker to get to a cure by regulating electrical and chemical impulses to the correct places. Precious was, of course, selected to be the first test subject. The surgery was about a year ago. It seemed to work. Precious was better coordinated, and her logic gradually improved. There was still a long way to go, though. Her fine motor skills still needed work, for one thing. Her social skills were better, but they still were very weak. She had to take a pill once every day that helped the chip continue to do its job. Of course, Bruce and Richie put on a secret interface on the chip to make Precious turn into the Muse at will. It was nice. Precious certainly liked just having to think of becoming the Muse and having it happen, and she didn't have to worry about juggling a couple of hats.

But this wasn't the only thing. Bruce heard about Precious' dream about going to Japan and becoming an RPG writer, and he covered all of her expenses. Precious had just completed all of her undergrad college education in the states. Now she was going to a university in Japan for two years to learn more about the Japanese language and culture as well as business management and computer programming. Then she was going to try to land a job.

Bruce kept warning her that it was very competitive up in Japan, but Precious felt very confident. She was, after all, told by some visitors from the future that she was going to be rich.

The lights dimmed for an in-flight movie, which turned out to be, no surprise, a foreign action/romance film. It had subtitles which Precious had fun reading, but she only half watched. A romance was the last thing she needed to see.

Precious couldn't exactly explain why (though she suspected it was because all her friends were marrying and having families), but she felt very lonely. She knew that going to Japan would only make her feel lonelier, being so far away from everybody. She had tried many times to get a boyfriend, but she was never successful. She remembered that Virgil had told her that she would be married someday, but Precious was starting to doubt that. Her future spouse was not at college or even high school, and he was not a fellow superhero.

Oh, she tried that crowd. Most of them were too old for her, and she knew it. She thought about asking out Virgil just to see what a date was like, but then he told her about Daisy and Precious decided against it. Precious almost did the same with Robin, until Starfire told her about the "wondrous" time when he took her out. One time in desperation, Precious hastily asked Beast Boy out. He answered that he was flattered but that he still had feelings for Terra. Often when she was alone, Precious felt a small, soft tickle on her earlobe. She'd stroke it fondly as a wave of nostalgia came over her. Then she remembered that Terry wasn't even born yet and would get after herself. She said to herself, "Even if he was around, he already had a girlfriend too–Dana, remember?"

Eli, of course, seemed to be Precious' obvious choice. He was her age, and she still remembered how captivated she was with his eyes. Yet he was a very private person, and she almost never got to see his real self. He never opened up to her like he did on the pier, and the more she thought of it, the more she wondered if he was just doing that because he knew the world would be destroyed in a few hours.

Claire tried to play matchmaker with some fine, young men at Church. She got Precious all fixed up for parties and other functions, and then the boys that Claire had instructed Precious to look out for never showed. Precious always felt stood up when that happened. She knew it was silly to feel that way since the boys never expected for her to come anyway, but it still hurt.

So, Precious started to understand what Slade meant when he said that he hated love. She was about to get to that point. She was sick and tired of infatuation and had even considered to stop trying. She tried to get Raven's advice about how to isolate her troubling emotions. Raven gave her some advice and showed her some meditation techniques. Yet it wasn't quite helpful when Precious heard that Raven also felt the same kind of bitterness that never went away. After all, the only crush she ever had turned out to be a dragon that nearly devoured her.

Precious was still partly hopeful. Perhaps her beau waited for her in Japan. She doubted it, however. How could she communicate daily with someone on a JSL or ESL basis?

She shook her head and turned away from the screen. She didn't want to watch the screen anymore. She leaned her seat back, closed her eyes, and went to sleep.

Hours later, her plane reached its final destination. Precious got off, got her luggage, and got everything taken care of. Then she walked out and saw Tokyo. Everybody told Precious that Tokyo was big, but she had no idea it was this big. Big just didn't seem like the right word. There were so many lights and displays. She saw anime everywhere, making the landscape look childlike somehow. And she saw so many technological things that she had never seen before.

She hailed a taxi and made it to the apartment assigned to her. It was a quaint little room. It didn't have paper walls, like she thought it would. It wasn't teeny tiny either. In fact, it seemed to be just the right size. It had a TV, a couch, a bed, a refrigerator, a stove, a toilet, and a sink. A welcome basket with fruit sat on the counter. Obviously, the place needed more furnishings, but Precious decided she would take care of that later. She unpacked and planned to sleep to work off her jet lag. Then she remembered her promise to talk to Nightwing. She grabbed the Titan communicator, but she dropped it on the hard floor and broke.

"Oh no!" She picked it up. "Let's see, magic!" The cracks mended. "There, now." But when she flipped it up, there was no beeping theme song, blinking lights, or picture in the screen. "Oh, it's still broken. Must be something inside. Well, there are a lot of techno-freaks in this town . . . no, wait, then I'll give away my identity. Oh well, I'll think of something."

She put the communicator in a drawer. There it gathered dust for a couple of years.

As the week progressed, Precious improved her apartment and tried to take a walk around the city. She even tried to talk to people she met with the little bit of Japanese that she knew, but they all spoke so fast. There was just so many things, so many people. Precious felt tremendously overwhelmed.

One evening she came home, tightly locked her door, and tried to catch her breath. "Somebody out there's got to empathize with me," she thought aloud. "Maybe Starfire. When she first came to Earth, she must have dealt with feelings like this–oh, wait I can't call her. That's right. Hey, I know."

She went to her room, pulled her Shock Box out of her beside table and pushed the button. Virgil's confused voice answered, "Huh? What? Oh, Gear, why are you calling so early?"

"Oh man, Virgil, I'm sorry. I forgot, it must be early morning where you are."

"It's ok, Precious. The kid kept me up for most of the night, so I was already awake. So how's Japan?"

"Um, Virgil, let me ask you again. What was it like when you went to Africa that first time?"

"Oh, it was great. I felt connected, like I was in my real home. You know, it's because in a way I was. I felt like the majority rather than the minority. It was good, like therapy. Why?"

"Man, that didn't help at all."

"Huh? Why not?"

"Because I feel exactly the opposite right now. I feel disconnected, out of place, and overwhelmed. I feel like a little bit of plankton in a large ocean. I feel . . . like a foreigner."

"Well, maybe that's because . . . you are."

"You're really not helping, Virgil," Precious said with a nervous laugh.

"It's ok. You're just experiencing a little culture shock. I had to get over a lot of that when I was in Africa. Every country is different. After you live there a few years, everything will be old hat."

"But this feels more than just culture shock. I mean, it's also because Tokyo is so . . . big. Bigger than big."

"You knew that. You've been there before."

"Yeah, but I think it got bigger. You won't believe how big it is."

"I know. I can't imagine it. Has the Muse taken a look at Tokyo yet?"

"She hasn't had time yet. I was thinking about it for tonight. It's a Friday night, by our calender anyway, and I need something fun to relax."

"I bet under a bird's eye view, it won't seem quite as overwhelming, and you'll have more control at least. And hey, one advantage about a big city for superheroes is that there's always crime."

"Hey, that's right, and if all the movies and anime shows are true, Tokyo has a lot more on its plate than just mainstream crime. This should be fun."

"There you go. You're going to make Tokyo 'Museville' in no time."

"You're right. Thanks Virgil." She signed off, fixed a quick dinner, transformed, and opened her windows. "Time to see how big this town really is," she said as she took off.

It wasn't long until she saw some strange beast harassing some young teenagers. The Muse swooped down and confronted the creature, but before she could do anything she heard a cry behind her. A girl with long, blond ponytails was pointing a wand at the creature and screaming. In a flash, the monstrosity was disintegrated.

The Muse turned around and looked at the girl. Several other girls in similar outfits stood with her. "Sailor Moon! Remember me?"

"Oh, hello Muse," Sailor Moon replied.

"Hey, uh, do you think you could use an extra hand? Because I'd be happy to help."

"Thank you, but this is our problem, and we have things under control."

"Alright, but if you change your mind, I'll see you again."

The Muse flew off again until she came upon a large, dragon-like creature. "I can take this one on."

Yet as she approached it, she heard another yell. "Dark Magician, dark magic attack!" Once again, in a flash the foe disappeared. The Muse turned around and saw a young man who looked a lot like Eli.

"Yugi, hey!" the Muse said as he approached him.

"Oh, hi Muse. Sorry, but I'm afraid I'm the only one who can fight this monster," the boy answered.

"Oh, ok. Well, just let me know if you need any additional help."

It was like this for the rest of the night. The Muse saw a problem, but it was always taken care of. Then when she tried to join forces with the heroes facing the problem, they would flat out refuse her help. The only thing good out of this was that she was meeting many Japanese heroes that she had looked up to for a long time.

After a while, the Muse, depressed, changed back and walked down the street to her apartment. Then she passed by a place with flashing lights and a large marquis. She looked inside and saw video game screens and people with heavy masks over their faces.

"It's a VR arcade," Precious thought aloud. "Well, why not? It is Friday night."

She went inside. There were several rooms made of glass, looking almost exactly like the racquetball courts at her previous college. Inside each were people hooked up to bulky virtual reality masks and gloves. One boy was dribbling an invisible basketball. One was shooting a large plastic gun. One girl looked like she was running for her life, but she was running in place. Precious came to a girl behind a counter.

"Welcome to our arcade," the girl said. "Our new releases are 'Sentries of the Last Cosmos,' 'Samurai's Revenge' and 'Pokemon Burgundy.' Would you like to play?"

"Pokemon's still around over here?" Precious thought aloud. "Uh, I mean, do you have any RPGs?"

"Yes, more than a hundred. Our latest is 'The Sixteenth Ultimate Dream.'"

"Oh, that sounds good. I'd like to try that."

"How long would you like? You can schedule up to five hours."

"I'll try one hour for right now."

"Which language would you prefer?"

"Language? What languages are available?"

"Japanese, Chinese, English, French, German, Russian, Italian, Spanish, Portugese, Hungarian--"

A voice in the back of Precious' mind told her to pick Japanese and continue to practice, but she also felt that this was her fun time and she needed to give that side of her mind a break. "I'd like English please."

"American English, Australian English, or UK English?"

"Oh, American English, please."

"Do you have a disk?"

"A disk? For what?"

"To save your progress when your hour is up."

"Oh. I think I have one in my pocket." Precious pulled out a small, round CD. "Here you go."

"What is your name?"

"Precious."

"Ok, Precious, female character, Sixteenth Ultimate Dream. All right, you are ready."

The girl told Precious the price, and Precious dug into her pocket for the money. "Not bad," she said to herself. The girl then led Precious down to an empty room and got her hooked up to the electrical equipment.

As the game started, it was awesome. Precious saw all the characters that she knew so well from playing the Ultimate Dream games on Richie's Game Station, and she was interacting and fighting with them. When she got hit, everything went red and it looked scary, but she did not feel pain. She only felt her equipment buzz, just like a video game controller. Everything else felt very real. Then suddenly a message came up telling her that her hour was up so, please save her progress. It didn't feel like an hour at all.

"I got to make this a regular thing," Precious told the girl as she was leaving. "It was fun."

"Glad you thought so," the girl replied with a bow.

So this became Precious' routine–study during the week, look in vain for things for the Muse to take care of, and play virtual RPGs on the weekends. It worked out well, except Precious felt like she wasn't making any new friends. She still felt very lonely, but whenever she played her games her loneliness seemed to melt away. But she kept that part to herself when she talked to her friends back at home.

"You guys won't believe this," she told Richie and Virgil when she talked to them next. "As big as this city is, there's not much the Muse can do. It seems like for every supervillain there's ten superheroes, and they all have everything under control. I even went to the mayor's office, but the mayor I met is not in office anymore."

"Maybe you're going for the obvious," Richie suggested. "Somewhere there's gotta be thieves stealing women's purses or kids crossing the street at the wrong time or cats caught in trees."

"You want me to shoot low?"

"You gotta start somewhere," Virgil answered.

"But in America I'm one of the best. I thought more people would be excited that I was here."

"Well, they love their heroes too. Just keep learning. You'll find your niche, whatever it is."

"Alright, I'll try."

And she did. Every so often, she helped stop some small crimes. It wasn't all that great, though. She didn't feel like she was really making a difference. Worse than that, the Japanese newspapers didn't recognize her as a hero. They did not even mistake her for an angel. They called her in English an "American Rogue"–essentially, a vigilante. From what she understood after looking it up, she was not regarded favorably.

So the Muse started to keep a lower profile. Truth be told, being a hero wasn't fun anymore. She didn't feel like she was making as much of a difference. She still flew when she felt low, and that often cheered her up a little. When she felt really pensive, she flew to the historic Tokyo radio tower, sat near the top, and looked down at the city.

Years passed on, and the most the Muse could say was that her grades were good. She still didn't make many close friends, except she was on a first name basis with the girl at the VR arcade. In fact, Yuna helped Precious get a job there. So Precious learned more about how virtual reality worked, and she could play with a discount. The more involved she became with virtual reality, the more she saw how flawed it was. The other characters didn't always respond to all that she did or said. The game invoked two out of five senses (seeing and hearing) very well, but the other three senses (touching, smelling, and tasting) felt deprived. But it didn't matter. They were still her therapy, watching the stories unfold. She even took her previous ideas for video games and restructured them to fit VR technology.

After she knew the procedures of how to submit these ideas, she started going out to the video game companies with her plans. Everywhere, all she got was a slammed door in the face. Her idea just wasn't "new" enough for them. One person even told her frankly that she was wasting his time. Precious just didn't know what she was going to do. She just knew she had to keep pushing. Somebody somewhere had to like her idea. She had to become a billionaire somehow.

Of course, she always made sure to check in at home, talking on her communicators, using e-mail. She remembered that this is what Virgil said would happen, and she also remembered he mentioned personal tragedy. She wanted to make sure everyone was doing alright. She was mostly concerned about Sharon, the only one she knew something bad would happen. So far, so good. They just adopted a little Romanian girl. Adam became even more famous for his work of good will. Now the whole family was going on an international tour, stopping by Tokyo. They made plans to see Precious down there.

The plans fell through.

"Sharon got really sick when she got to Greece," Virgil told Precious over the Shock Box. "She's somewhat better, but she hasn't really recovered. In fact . . . the doctor says her immune system isn't working right."

"What's wrong? It's not AIDS, is it?" Precious asked.

"No, not AIDS, but it's still not good. It's a condition called Lupus. For one reason or another, parts of her body are turning against it. Sharon said that she noticed it earlier, how she felt tired and uncommonly sore."

"Is she going to be ok? I mean, they got medicine for it, right?"

"They got treatment for it, but it's steroids. Sharon is not sure if she wants it. It would set a bad example."

"Is she . . . going to die?"

"It's hard to say. It's really hard to say. Lupus can be fatal, and the mortality rate for African-Americans with Lupus is three times higher than for other races. But Sharon is strong. I talked with her, and she's got a good attitude. I think she's going to be ok, but we gotta pray for her. It's gonna be rough."

"I will."

Adam cancelled the tour, and he and Sharon released a duet that donated all proceeds to Lupus research. It went gold. Precious was very sad for Sharon, and she missed her RB even more.

But the real tragedy came when she was least expecting it. Business was good at the arcade. Precious got some new ideas for her game. A cute guy was making eyes at her. After her shift was over, she played an hour and a half of her game. She took on the final boss, and she won on the first try. Her overall score was one of the highest. Precious felt on top of the world.

When she got home, her phone was ringing. She thought it was strange. She very rarely got phone calls. Everyone she knew lived too far away, and nobody wanted to be stuck with an outrageous bill.

She picked up the phone. An operator asked her if she would accept the charges for a collect call. "Would you send the charges to Bruce Wayne?" Precious asked. "Thank you." She paused for a second. "Hello? Who's there?"

"Precious, is that you?"

"Aunt Maggie! Hi! How are you?"

"Well, I'm . . . ok. And are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm doing really good. What's going on?"

"Precious, I'm sorry I have to tell you this but–"

"Oh no! Is Richie ok?"

"Richie's fine but . . . Precious, honey, something happened to your mother."

"Oh no! She's . . ."

"Well, just listen. She was driving somewhere. We don't know where. She was probably running some errands. And a drunk driver just smashed into her car."

"Oh, Mommy! Is she . . . ?"

"No, she's alive. She was wearing her seatbelt, and she's alive. But, darling . . . she's in a coma."

Precious sat down. She didn't know what to say.

"Now, I don't know if you know this, but Richie has power of attorney."

"What? How did he become an unofficial lawyer so quick?"

"No, honey, power of attorney means he decides what he does with your mother and with you if something happened to her. She delegated that power to your uncle when your father left, and Sean gave it to Richie when he passed away. And Richie has made it clear what he wants done. He wants your mother to remain on life support for as long as it takes. He wants the doctors to do all within their power to make her wake up. There's no telling how long it will take for her to remain in this state. Some people have remained in comas for years. But it's not promising, Precious. They say her condition is not good. She's hanging between life and death, and anytime . . ."

Precious was so shocked. She barely could hear the rest of what her aunt said, and she couldn't say anything. When she finally put the phone down, she went to bed and she cried herself to sleep.

She kept crying the next day. She called the arcade and told them the situation, and they graciously gave her a few days to grieve. She lay in bed all day and cried. She never got up to make breakfast. She just didn't feel like eating. She tried to find something to help the pain. She turned on the TV, but nothing good was on. Even her favorite show didn't help her cheer up. She tried to listen to music, but every song on the radio seemed to be sad. She tried to read, but the tears in her eyes made it impossible to see. She got on the internet, she played several games of Solitaire and Sudoku, she even tried to escape through her imagination. Nothing helped. She didn't want to talk to anyone, not even herself. She couldn't sleep for several nights, she was crying so hard.

Then one day, there was a big storm. Precious was flipping through her Bible, and the power went out. She put her Bible down, sneezed a couple of times, and fell back into her bed. Suddenly, her body was itching for activity. That seemed like a good sign. She got out of bed. She wanted to express her sorrow, but how? She first went to her magnetic poetry on the refrigerator, but like always she couldn't find the words that she wanted to use. She had five sets! Why can't she ever find the right words? She hit the fridge door in frustration.

Then she found a can of red paint. She didn't even remember how it got there. She opened it. She didn't have time to look for a brush. She dipped her fingers into it and wrote messages on the wall. Some were just simple sentences conveying her pain, and others were song lyrics she didn't understand until now. She didn't care that she was ruining her apartment. She told herself it was her place that she bought with her money, and she can do what she wanted with it.

About thirty minutes in, she heard a sinister laugh. "Who's there?" she demanded. She abandoned her work, grabbed a flashlight and quickly looked in all of her rooms. She checked her door again to see that it was locked securely. "I must be hearing things," she told herself. She went back to her work.

And then she heard a deep, foreboding whisper,

"Muse."

She turned around in horror. She could not believe her eyes. Someone was there.

"Slade? What . . . how . . . ?" She was mystified. This was clearly not possible, but she knew that he would not divulge how he could be there. What question could convey her confusion adequately? "Why are you here?"

Then Slade something she had never seen him do. He slowly beckoned her with his finger. It looked so creepy. "Come here. I have something to show you."

Precious hesitated.

"Come Muse. Don't be shy. I am sure you will find it most . . . interesting."

He might have done something awful. Maybe he planted a bomb in her house. Well, maybe that won't be so bad. At any rate, she had to see what it was to make him go away.

She stepped toward Slade. He went backward, never taking his single eye off Precious for one second. The strange thing was he didn't seem to be walking as much as he was gliding. Precious looked down at his feet to see if he was touching the floor, but it was too dark to tell. The shadows were shifting in a strange way. Precious thought she saw eyes in the shadows.

Slade led Precious into her own bathroom, and she saw that he was not the only one there. "Well, if it isn't the girl of the hour?" a familiar, sarcastic voice crowed.

Precious looked in shock. "Joker?"

"In the flesh."

The door clicked shut behind her. A dark hand was locking it. "Ebon?"

Ebon replied by glaring at her.

Then Precious looked beside Slade and was amazed again. "Omnaura?"

"Hello Muse," she answered.

"This is impossible."

"Why, Muse," Slade said, "I am surprised at you. I never thought such a word would cross your naive lips." He looked into her eyes. "You of all people should know that nothing is impossible."

"But Joker, you have been missing for over a decade. And Ebon, I don't know what happened to you, but I know you're not in this state anymore. Omnaura, I've heard of a terrible accident; you drove off the road. And you . . ." She looked at Slade and said in a sad whisper, "I know what happened to you."

"Do you really?"

"Yes. They made me come see it this time. I didn't want to, but they made me. I remember how before you were injected how your lone eye turned to me and stared. Oh, I'll never forget that!"

"Pretend that this is possible for the moment. We have things to say."

"What is it?" Precious asked.

"We're worried about you, Muse," Omnaura answered.

"What do you mean?"

"You're losing your edge, girlfriend," Ebon replied. "Remember when my crew ran at the sight of you? What happened to those times?"

"Where's the challenge?" Omnaura asked. "That's what we need."

"And you know how much I dislike unhappy faces," Joker said. He pulled at the corners of Precious' mouth. "Come on, turn that frown upside-down."

"No!" Precious backed away from him. "How can I smile when there's nothing to smile about?" She started to cry again. "Daddy's still in jail, Mommy's life is hanging by a thread, Uncle Sean is gone, and everybody else is on the other side of the world sleeping in their double beds happy as clams! Sharon's sick, but she's still happy. And you know why? It's because they have everything that I can't have! I tried so hard. They don't want me down here. They don't want my ideas, no matter how good they are. They don't want my heroics. They don't want my companionship. They don't want me! And I've tried everything. All my dreams are falling apart in front of me. I just don't know what to do. There's nothing left."

"But there is something," Slade said. "You know there is."

"Alright Slade, humor me. What else is there?"

"You can join us."

"Slade, didn't you learn anything last time? That's not going to work!"

"Oh Muse, you haven't changed. You're still slow and pitiful."

"What he means is," Omnaura interjected, "you can go to where we are."

"But you're here."

"We're visiting you," the Joker replied. "This isn't where we are most of the time now-a-days. We're here to extend an invitation to you."

"And where is that?"

Slade grabbed her wrist and looked into her eyes. "Oh, I think you know."

In his one eye, Precious thought she could see the reflection of flames. She remembered voices from an old nightmare.

"Wait in the fire! Wait in the fire! Wait in the fire!"

"NO! I DON'T WANT TO GO THERE!"

"Now, Muse, it's not that bad," Omnaura replied. "Everyone's there. It's not torture, not all the time. All we do is wait."

"Wait?"

"Well, sometimes we talk."

"Sometimes we laugh," the Joker added. "And sometimes we cry."

"Sometimes we remember," Ebon said bitterly.

"But most of the time, we wait," Omnaura explained.

"For what?" Precious said.

"For whatever to happen to happen."

"But I don't like waiting. I have to do something to occupy my time."

"It's better than wasting your life, watching all of your dreams crumble," Slade said. "Is that what you want?"

"Well . . ."

"Don't tell us you haven't thought about it," Omnaura said.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't," Precious sighed. "But there's gotta be something else. There's so much I'm missing, and I know there's a way I can get to it. I just gotta find that way."

"But you've tried everything," Slade said. "You said so yourself. There's nothing left for this world to offer you. You've done all you could. Don't you want to see something new?"

"I just don't know. I don't want it to be painful. I don't even want it to look like it's painful."

"That's not a problem," Omnaura replied. "The answer is right in front of you, my dear."

"What do you mean?"

Omnaura opened the medicine cabinet and pulled out the bottle with those pills Precious had to take to make the chip function. "Read the label, dear. Take one every 24 hours, and it does what it's supposed to. Take two, and it might make you a little nauseous. But take several at once . . . "

"Oh, good night."

"Exactly. According to this, side effects include drowsiness. So, it should knock you out no problem. I believe you always wanted to go in your sleep."

She handed Precious the bottle. Precious stared at it for the longest time. Her hand began to shake, and she cried even harder.

"Think of all the people who will be there," Joker said. "Family you didn't know you had, your uncle, and it shouldn't be long before your mother joins us."

"Static's mother is there," Ebon said. "I believe you always wanted to meet her."

"How do you know about her?"

"Oh, we know."

Precious sat down on the toilet lid and unscrewed the cap. "Oh, how did it come to this?" she cried. "I still can't believe I'm doing this. It's not cool. It's not alright."

She felt a hand stroke her knuckles. She opened her eyes and saw Slade kneeling down to her. "You'll never be alright, poor girl. I know how you feel."

"Oh, stop it. I know all about your false sympathy, Slade."

"Really, I do. Once, I tried everything. I tried hard to be good, noble, upright, respected. But my good intentions were never returned to me."

"Stop it. Stop it!"

"I had a child. I did all I was told to be a good father, but my child never returned to me the love that I gave her. She was unbridled chaos, and I couldn't hold her. I couldn't make her what I wanted her to be."

"Enough, please!"

"And so, do you know what I did? I quit. I shocked everybody. I became something different, something new. I became more like myself."

"SHUT UP SLADE!" Immediately, Precious clamped a hand on her mouth. Her mother hated that phrase, and saying it got her in as much trouble as saying a cuss word. But at least it had its effect. Slade stopped. So she glared at him and said, "It's not true! I know it's not true, so don't try to convince me that it is!"

"But it is true, Precious."

Her eyes grew wide. It wasn't until that moment that she realized that she never transformed. "How do you know me?"

Then, all of the villains laughed, and Slade laughed the loudest of all

Precious screamed. "Stop! Please! You told me you don't laugh! This isn't like you! What's happening?"

Slade reached up and put his hand over his mask. Precious turned away. She remembered that nightmare all to well, and the face still haunted her dreams, but Slade turned her head toward him.

Precious thought the face in her nightmare was the grimmest thing she ever saw, but this was worse than anything her imagination could devise.

"Daddy? No, no, you're not, you can't be. It's impossible!"

"How do you know?" he answered. "I never was in touch with you, and you knew I was involved in crime."

"No, I won't believe it! Daddy, you wouldn't make me do this!"

"Don't you know anything? Don't you know that I left because of you?"

"Because of me?"

"Your autism. I didn't know what it was, and I couldn't handle it. Don't you see, Precious? You can't function in this world! That's why you failed! The world doesn't need you!"

His hand tightened around the wrist of the hand that was still holding the pill bottle. Precious was so much in shock that she couldn't do anything. He pushed her hand to her face. Pills scattered everywhere. Evil laughter filled her ears again. Precious screamed.

Then her wrist was jerked in the other direction by a gloved hand. Her bathroom was filled with a blinding light and crackling energy. Who is this, her guardian angel?

Precious got to her feet. The enemies were gone, and the only person left was, "Static?"

He grabbed her shoulders. "Do you remember what I told you?"

"But how did you get in–?"

"Do you remember what I told you?" he said slower and louder.

"You said, you said, everything was going to be ok, and I didn't need to do anything drastic. Oh man, is this what you meant?"

"Well, this is about as drastic as they come."

Suddenly, Precious felt terribly weak. She sank to the floor, and she heard a loud banging noise. Maybe it was the wind, or maybe it was her imagination. Everything went black.

Then she heard Richie's voice. He sounded very panicky, talking loudly in Japanese. She didn't know he knew the language. "Richie?" she said weakly.

"Precious?" he said. "Oh, you're alive!" He hugged her head.

"I feel strange. My head is so . . . it's like I'm swimming."

"You're going to the hospital. I just called their version of 911. It'll be ok."

"Yeah, I hope so," she mumbled. Then she saw the shadows and heard the whispers. All of them were still here. "Richie, make them go away."

"What?"

"Make them go away, just like Static did."

"Make what go away?"

"All of them. Slade, Omnaura, everybody. Make them stop."

"You don't have to worry about them. Just go to sleep."

But as her foes whispers continued in her ears, she kept repeating, "Make them go away. Make them go away. Go away," until sleep finally came over her.

She woke in a hospital bed. Richie was by her side, as was Virgil.

"She's awake," Richie said.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Virgil said.

"How are you feeling?"

"Ok, I guess," Precious answered.

"You gave us a big scare," Virgil said.

"How'd you all get here?"

"Well, when you didn't contact us, we got worried," Richie explained. "I had a feeling you were upset because of what happened to your mom, and I wanted to comfort you. I came to your apartment and heard you screaming. I used Backpack to unlock the door, and I found you on the floor, pills scattered everywhere and blood all over the place."

"That was paint."

"Yeah, we know that now. That's why I called Virgil. Do you feel up to talking?"

Precious sat up in her bed and looked around. "Are they still here?"

"Who?"

"They were all here. Slade led me into the bathroom. The Joker brought me in. Ebon closed the door. Omnaura gave me the bottle. And Daddy tried to force the pills down my throat!" She started to cry again.

"You know that couldn't have been possible," Virgil said.

"I know, but it happened all the same."

Richie handed her a tissue and encouraged her to tell everything, back to when she heard about Claire's accident. After she was done, Richie nodded.

"Alright, I think this is what happened. All the rejection and loneliness was starting to drag you down, but when you heard about what happened to Aunt Claire, you went into a state of depression. I don't blame you for that because you have double the risk. You have a history of depression in your family, and autism tends to make people prone to depression. But the stress and chemical imbalance was too great on your mind, and it caused your chip to malfunction. Everything you experienced was in your head. They were giving a voice to your thoughts, and sad to say, suicidal thoughts are common in depression too. That's why it was so powerful."

"I still don't get it!" Virgil said. "All your greatest villains were there, and you listened to them? Didn't you have a bit of common sense? Why didn't you try to fight them?"

"Well, they had a point. My life is going nowhere," Precious answered.

"Let me tell you something Sharon told me not too long ago. See, there was this scientist, a psychologist who worked with animals. And in one experiment, he had two rats in separate cages. Each cage had a button or a lever or something like that. Now, in one cage, he would periodically shock the rat through the floor. The rat didn't like that, but then it pushed the button, and the shock stopped. The process was repeated until it seemed clear that the rat has learned that it had control over a bad situation. That rat got through fine. Now, in the other cage, the rat was shocked, and maybe it pushed the button, but the shock didn't stop. That rat had no way to predict when it would get shocked, nor did it have a way to control the shock. After a while, that rat stopped trying. It allowed itself to be shocked and just sat there in the cage. Even when it was let out of the cage, it acted like it was depressed. The psychologist called this 'learned helplessness.' That kinda might be what's happening here. Nothing's working for you like it should so far, and so you think nothing's ever going to work. So you just want to give up, right? Well, like Sharon told me, you're smarter than some old rat! You can pursue other options, until you find something that does work!"

"Well, what other options do I have?"

"For one thing, you can move."

"No, I can't! We talked about this. Tokyo is where the video game market is."

"There are other places," Richie said. "Las Vegas, for example, is big in video game production."

"I'm not moving to Las Vegas! I got principles!"

"It's not much better here."

"Look, I'm not arguing. I know I have other options. I know that eventually I'll be a big success. Don't ask me how, but I do. That's why I ended up not listening to them. I remember what I was told, and I stopped. But I genuinely want to know what my options are."

"Hang on," Richie said. "You saying you didn't OD on your medication?"

"No. I almost did, but I didn't."

"Now, that doesn't make sense. The doctors told me that they found an unknown chemical agent in your bloodstream. Have you been taking any other drugs that we don't know about?"

"No."

"You're not telling us something."

"I can help with that," a new voice said.

Precious sat up a little straighter in her bed. A man with black hair, a mask, and a tight, black outfit just came into the door. "Terry? Oh, I'm sorry Rob–I mean Winged Knight, I mean–"

"It's Nightwing. Why do you keep calling me that?" the newcomer said.

"You just remind me of someone I used to know is all. What are you doing here?"

"Static told me that you checked into the hospital, and I also wanted to find out why didn't you call me like I asked you to!"

"Oh, my communicator broke. I meant to get it fixed, but I forgot."

"Well, this is what came of it. Did you look out for dust like I told you?"

"I dusted very well about once every week. I guess maybe when I got depressed, I might have gotten a little careless. Why?"

"When this happened, was it really dark?"

"Yeah, the power was out. But why?"

"When Slade first disappeared, all we could find was his armor and his mask. The rest of the Titans thought he was gone for good, but we couldn't find any other remains. I knew he was still out there somewhere. One night I just looked at his dusty armor, trying to answers the questions in my mind. Shortly after, I had an encounter with Slade. He taunted me worse than ever and fought me. And yet, I was the only one of the Titans who could actually see him. Then I realized that Slade only appeared in the dark, and I understood that he was only in my mind. Cyborg scanned me, and he found out that I had a hallucinogen in my system that made me see, hear, and feel Slade. It also hyped my stress level and nearly killed me. And the way I came in contact with it was by inspecting Slade's mask. It was the dust. And then we found out that the dust was released by someone outside of the Tower, and we all knew Slade was still around. But it wasn't confirmed until he went after you."

"So you think he did the same to me?"

"As his final revenge for your turning on him."

"But how? We know for a fact he's gone this time!"

"It's hard to say, but he did it somehow. I tried to tell you that day because we had just found out that the same chemical was in Omnaura's bloodstream. Perhaps when she swerved off the road, she saw Slade in the middle of the street and tried to avoid hitting him."

"It still doesn't make sense. Why was everybody else there?"

"It probably interacted with the chip, or the weaker side of your mind," Richie suggested.

"Maybe it did." She looked at Richie. "You think that it's true? You think that Slade and Daddy are one and the same?"

"No. That would be impossible, and I can prove it. I don't want to go into that now, though. You won't want to hear it. Another day, maybe."

"The chemical was probably just messing with your head," Nightwing explained. "It did that because it would do a better job of convincing you to do it."

"It sounds like Slade alright." Precious sighed. "So, what now?"

"Well, now, you probably need some help to get you over this state," Richie answered. "I'm going to stay with you for a while to watch you, see if you try to do it again. You probably ought to get some counseling. We'll think of some more options for you, somehow. You might even have to change your plans, but you'll be willing to, right?"

"I'll try." She leaned back and closed her eyes. Everybody started to leave, but then she said, "Richie?"

"Yeah?" he answered.

"Did Daddy really leave because of me?"

"Your daddy left because he was a coward. Don't let anybody tell you any different."

TRANSITION

On the other side of the world, a young man wandered about his town like a little child who had lost his best friend. He held in his hand a still of him and the Muse, and he was searching for anybody who knew her whereabouts. He was getting skittish and paranoid. Several times he thought he saw her, but it turned out only to be a fountain or a monument, and sometimes it wasn't even real.

Eventually, he found Titan Tower. No one he recognized was inside. He approached the leader, who was a child-like Green Lantern. "Have you seen her?" he asked as he handed over the still.

The young Green Lantern looked at the picture closely. "She looks familiar, but I can't recall her name."

"It's the Muse!"

"Oh, is this the fabled Muse? Nobody knows what happened to her. Seems like she disappeared without a trace."

He took the picture back. "I'm not sure if I believe that."

It took some time, but the young man went down to Dakota and found an abandoned gas station. He sat down in an armchair and waited for someone to come. It took a few hours, but eventually Virgil came in.

"Ragnarok? Hey dawg, what are you doing here?"

The young man approached him. "Where's Muse?"

"She's living in Japan now. I thought you knew that."

"How can I get to her?"

"Well, it's very far, and very expensive. Going over there will be difficult."

The young man bowed his head and began to leave. "Although, if you can find a way to go," Virgil added, "please try. She really needs a friend right now."

The young man nodded and left. Part of him knew it was hopeless, but he had to try, even if it meant saving for years. He needed her too.

TRANSITION

Elsewhere, Starfire was looking through an old photo album. There were several good pictures of the Muse in there. "What has happened to our old friend? Why has she not talked to us? Perhaps she settled down with the Ragnarok. I wonder what has happened to him as well. What do you think, Raven?"

Raven pulled out one photo and surrounded it in black flames.

"Oh no, Raven!"

"There's no point in brooding over it," she answered. "As I have said before, people come, and people go. She has chosen her own path, and for whatever reason, it doesn't include us. We might as well just forget."

"We cannot! If we sever our end, then we are completing the 'rekmas!'"

"She let the 'rekmas' snare her. There's nothing we can do about that."

Just then, a door opened. Starfire flew joyously to him and threw her arms around her husband's shoulders. "Nightwing! Have you come to lend us your aid?"

He pulled away. "I just saw an old friend of ours. You ought to go talk to her. She's in trouble."

TRANSITION

Needless to say, the landlord wasn't happy with what Precious did to his walls, but he allowed Precious and Richie to paint over the damage in the same color of paint.

"What were you thinking when you did this?" Richie asked.

"I guess I wasn't."

"I guess not. So, uh, is there anything about this place that you like?"

"Well, it's cozy."

"No, I mean about the city. Is there anything you enjoy doing?"

"Oh, there's this really neat arcade. You'd like it. It's all virtual reality games."

"Sweet! I don't think I've ever played VR before. What's it like? Does it feel realistic?"

"Well . . . everybody says it does, but after playing with it for so long and working with it, I don't think it does much anymore. But I don't really care. I mean, old video games never felt realistic, and they still were awesome."

They were quiet for a little while, and then Precious said out of the blue, "Richie, what would it be like if one could play a video game inside one's mind?"

Richie stopped and looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"Well, VR technology is very bulky and doesn't allow for much free movement. What if they put a couple of nodes, maybe even a chip on the head just right around the creative, imaginative portion of the brain? You know, like the same places in my brain that are super sensitive that the doctors found during the operation? Somebody ought to make a video game system that downloaded a scenario into those nodes or chips so that it goes directly into the brain. The player would see everything in the 'mind's eye,' you know? And he'd be partly conscious to the rest of the world, and all of his actions would be reflected by the program. They might even be able to make it more realistic. They can stimulate other portions of the brain to invigorate all five senses. Wouldn't that be cool?"

"Uh, I think the word is 'schway' now."

"Oh, already? Man, it's been a long time since I've heard that word. What do you think?"

"Yeah, it sounds like something else alright. Um, don't you think it would be addictive, though? I mean, video games as they are right now are addictive enough, don't you think?"

"Yeah. I guess they'd probably have to be tested for a while. It may be a few years before the home version would be out."

"And what about when you character dies? Would that feel realistic?"

"Well, of course not! We don't want anybody to get heart attacks from a video game."

"And I'm not sure if I like the idea of downloading a whole game straight to your brain. Video games have a tendency to turn off your imagination. My parents always thought that's why I was so poor at English in school. If your putting stuff directly into the imagination, it could become dependent or shut off completely."

"So, we'd have to keep it active somehow. Say, maybe they only put in part of the scenario, and the rest of it is dependent on your emotions, your choices, and your expectations. That way the game is different every time you play it. Hey, that would really create more of an interaction with the rest of the characters. I always wanted that. Characters responded to my commands and conversations, but it seemed like they completely ignored me when I told them to watch their mouths. I would have really appreciated it if they responded more to me. What do you think?"

"Well . . . you know . . . I think you really got a good idea here."

"Next time I go down to submit my ideas to the video game people, I'll suggest that."

"Well, they're probably going to want to see a prototype. They'd want to know if it's possible."

"You're right. Hey, you're just about as inventive as Thomas Edison. Why don't you do it?"

"I got a better idea. Why don't you do it?"

"Me?"

"Sure! You got the idea clear in your head. Even if I tried, I probably couldn't make it the way you're envisioning it."

"But I've never invented anything in my life! How do I do it?"

"Don't worry, I'll help. But I want you to be the one actually doing it. If you get involved in a project like this, maybe your negative feelings will take a hike."

"Do you think that it's possible? Will it work?"

"Well, it depends on what you think. Remember what Virgil said. If you think it's going to be a failure, it will be. But if you approach it expecting it to work, who knows? It might change the world forever."

Precious' eyes lit up when he said that. She remembered for the first time in years that she was not only told she would be a success, but that she would also change the world. "You know, I think this is going to work. In fact, I think this might be my calling."

Richie looked at her and smiled. "You look better than you have in days."

"I feel better! I feel like my ship might finally come in!"

"Uh-uh!" Richie said shaking his finger at her. "Let's not get too ahead of ourselves, now. Let's work on getting it together first."

"Right," she nodded. "What do you think I should call it?"

"It's your invention."

"True. How about 'Inertia' or 'Vertigo.'"

"That suggests that it makes you sick to your stomach."

"Oh, right. Well, let's see. I guess it would be something that suggests a spark of the imagination. Hey, what is that part in epic poetry when the poet calls for the Muses' help?"

"You're asking me? I'm the science and mathematics nut. Virgil's the literature whiz."

"Oh, that's right. Wait, I remember, it's called an invocation. That works, doesn't it?"

"Invocation. Yeah, it has a ring to it. You don't think it'll give away your secret identity, do you?"

Precious sighed. "What if it did? Would anybody really care?"

"I think you'd find out pretty quick the answer to that question."

"I think the Muse is about ready to hang up her wings for good due to," she sighed again, "lack of interest."

"Precious . . ." Richie started, but then there was a knock on the door.

Precious opened the door and gasped in surprise. "Starfire!"

"Oh, Muse!" Starfire squealed as she pulled the girl into a hug. Then she pulled back. "Oh dear! What has happened to your wings?"

"Oh, no problem." Precious closed her eyes, and her wings and costume appeared. "There you go."

"Wonderful. I was worried. Oh, is this the Ragnarok?"

"Actually, this is Gear."

"Hey, Starfire," he greeted as he shook her hand. "Wow, time's been good to you." He ran his hand through his thinning hair and looked down at his plump belly. "I wish I could say the same."

"I thank you, and yet I am sad to say time has not good for our friendship."

"Oh, Starfire, I'm sorry," Precious said. "I let the 'rekmas' get me, I know. It had help."

"I know. Nightwing has told me of your communicator. May I see it, please? Cyborg can surely fix it."

"Only if you can forgive me for being a forgetful klutz. You know what that means, right?"

"I believe it means one who has fingers like plyzkapaste, yes?"

"Um, probably so."

Starfire looked down. "I am afraid I cannot forgive this."

Precious groaned and looked away.

"I have never blamed you in the first place, so there is no need for forgiveness."

"So, you're not mad?"

"It has upset me, but I know that you have chosen a new life. I can understand if you are too busy for friends."

"I'm not too busy now. I had often wondered what had happened with you and Raven and Beast Boy and everybody. I'd love to see all of you again."

"This is good, because I have come to invite you to join our new team."

"New team?"

"Yes, we are now members of the Universal League of Justice!"

"The Green Lantern guys?"

"Uh, no. Forgive me, I have gotten it backward again. It is the Justice League."

"The Justice League? The group that introduced us in the first place. Awesome! Wow, I always dreamed of joining. You think I'm ready?"

"Most assuredly. Come, I shall take you now."

"How? Are we just going to fly up there? 'Cause you know I can't breathe in space."

"Of course. I brought a plane. Gear may come as well if he wishes."

"Thanks, but I've already been up there, and I still got some painting to do."

So, Starfire took her up. The Muse was reunited with most of her old friends in the Watchtower, Raven, Cyborg, Beast Boy–

"I kinda grew out of the 'Beast Boy' thing," he told her. "Now I'm just 'Beast.'"

"Isn't one of the X-Men called that?"

"He's 'The Beast.' There's a difference."

"Well, alright."

Then she met some other Titans she had not met before: Aqualad, Speedy, and Bumblebee. Some of the original members of JL were there too, like Superman, Green Lantern, and Wonder Woman. They had a small party for the Muse welcoming her to the Justice League. The Muse had a good time, and she eventually agreed to devote a little to each week to help the League out. Yet a few worries had her confused.

"Where is Nightwing?"

"Unfortunately, our former leader has pulled away from the rest of the group," Starfire said. "He works alone and only helps us occasionally. It is not fair. I had hoped that when he asked for my hand in marriage that he would be by my side forever."

"Wait, he married you?"

"Oh yes, did I never tell you? I wished to have you as a bridesmaid, but he wished to marry in secret. He called it 'eloping.' I believe he did it to protect his identity."

"Why does he work alone?"

"He has told me, but I do not completely understand. He says he is doing it to help his 'old man.' Does he perhaps mean his 'knorfka'?"

"Yeah, that's probably what he means. Have you never met his 'knorfka'?"

"I have, but it was a long time ago when the Titans first came together. He is the Batty Man, right?"

"Batman is what he's called."

"Oh. Well, he did not seem very old when I met him."

"He is pretty old now. I hope he's ok. He's my friend. Has Nightwing told you anything?"

"He says the old man lives in a cave and never comes out. Apparently he is working on a new suit. I really don't understand it."

"Have you all ever heard from my old partner, Ragnarok?"

"No, we have not. It seems as though he has also disappeared."

"If you really want to find him, I can probably sense him with my eyes closed," Raven offered.

"Well, that's sweet of you, but I bet his parents forced him to quit," Precious groaned. "Yeah, that's probably what happened"

TRANSITION

A couple of years had gone by. The boy once known as Ragnarok had given up his power. He didn't want to, but he did not see much of a choice. He worked several small jobs for Bruce Wayne and Batman (never guessing that all of those jobs led to the same purpose), and he earned a little money. He saved every penny of it to go to Japan one day to see if he could find his only friend. It still wasn't even close.

Then one evening, his bosses, both of them, called him to a room in the local hospital. The boy came as quickly as he could.

"Mr. Wayne!" he cried as he saw one of his bosses on the hospital bed.

"Hello, Eli."

"What happened?"

"I got really sick last night. The doctors said I have something wrong with my heart."

"Are you going to be ok?"

"I'll be fine, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to give up some things. I'm just not as young as I used to be. I may need your help more."

"OK, good."

"And right now, what I need you to do is send a message to your old friend, the Muse."

"But . . . she's so far away. I've been saving to go see her, but . . . it's still going to be a long time before I can reach that goal."

"It is alright. I have a way." He reached up and patted Eli's shoulder. "I believe it's about time you meet your other boss."

TRANSITION

Richie and Precious worked on the Invocation system in secret for a couple of years. It was tough, and they had several failures. But when Precious wanted to give up, Richie kept encouraging her. Finally, they managed to get a prototype together and fixed a one minute demo. They started driving to the first game company on their list.

"All those folks are going to regret rejecting you now," Richie said. "You're going to run them out of business."

Precious laughed. "We got to be careful, though. If this technology winds up in the wrong hands, it can be used for things I don't even want to think about."

"Right. Maybe if no one will sponsor us, we can start our own business. Either way, I don't think we'd have any trouble getting Wayne Industries on our side. They'd protect us."

"That's true." They were driving by the radio tower. "I tell you what, you haven't seen anything until you see the city from the top of that thing. It's so awesome."

Richie looked closely at the tower as they were coming nearer. "There's somebody up there."

"There is?"

Richie stopped the care and stuck his head out the window. "Yeah, and it looks like someone you'd recognize. Why don't you go up there and check it out?"

"Um, ok." She quickly transformed into the Muse and flew up the tower. Eventually, she saw a caped figure standing near the top. As she flew closer, she could not believe her eyes.

"Ragnarok?"

"Muse!" he said happily. He reached out and hugged her.

"So, uh, how are you?"

"Better, now that you're here. What about you?"

"The same. How are your parents?"

"I don't know. Dad threw me out when I turned 21. He said he had enough."

"I know how that feels."

"He wanted me to live in ARC, like Noah. But I'm not Noah. I'm Elijah, and I have to wander in the wilderness. So I ran away."

"Wow, that's bold. Have you been able to make it on your own?"

"Well, Batman found me, and he brought me back to Mr. Wayne. Luckily, they both understood, and they've been giving me stuff to do. But all I've thought about lately was getting to you somehow."

"So, how'd you get here?"

He pointed up. The Batplane was hovering just above the tower.

"Oh, Batman brought you."

"Well, yes and no. He sent me here, and he let me use his plane, but he's not here."

"Is he ok?"

"No. He's in the hospital. His heart's broke."

"Oh dear! Is he going to live?"

"I think so, but he doesn't wanna to be Batman anymore."

"Oh, you knew about that?"

"He just told me a little while ago. I was working for both Batman and Mr. Wayne. I probably should have figured it out."

"Are you going to take over for him?"

"No, I don't think so. If he wants me to, and if he'll keep paying me, maybe."

"Do you know if Nightwing's going to take over?"

"I haven't heard."

"So I guess all we got to do is wait for Terry."

"Who's Terry?"

"Um, never mind."

"OK. Anyhow, he wanted me to give you this message."

He handed Precious a piece of paper. The Muse opened it and read it silently. She smiled as she came to the end. "Oh, bless his soul. I needed to hear that for a long time." She closed the note up and put it in her pocket. "So, is that it?"

"Well . . ."

"Where have you been for so long? I heard that you haven't been seen for a long time. Have you quit being a superhero?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Because my powers aren't as strong as they used to be. They don't do much danger to the bad guys, and I end up getting beat. I even tried teaming up with Titans East. That didn't help much either."

"That's bad. Why do you think it's like that?"

"I think it's because I missed you so much. I didn't know where you'd gone, and I was all by myself. I had nobody to help. Part of my powers came from my wanting to protect you. Because I always liked you, even before I saw you in person. You were always my favorite."

"Wow. I didn't know you felt that way."

"I don't want to be without you anymore, so . . . will you marry me?"

"Whoa!" The Muse nearly stepped back. "Do you really know what you're asking? Do you understand what marriage is?"

"Yeah. It means being with one person forever, and becoming parents, and . . . stuff like that."

"I think you're about right, but how do you know we can do that?"

"We've worked together for so long so well."

"But we don't really know a thing about each other. We never talked much when we weren't working. The one time I tried to get to know you, you still came hidden in all of your masks. Here's an example: do you know my name?"

"Yes! It's Precious!"

"I mean the whole thing, first, middle, and last."

Ragnarok looked away to think, and then he slowly shook his head.

"See? And I don't know your favorite music, tv show, food, game, hobby, I don't even know your last name. You know, the name I'd take if we married!"

There was a long pause. "LeMaster," Ragnarok finally said.

"What?"

"Elijah Jonathan LeMaster. That's my full name."

"That's a very handsome name." Precious sighed. "I really wish I could marry you, Eli. Really, I wish you asked me a long time ago."

"So, is that a yes or no?"

"Well, it's not a 'no.' We just need some time first. We got to get to know each other as we really are first. Do you understand?"

"I think so."

"You know what would be a good start? If you take off your masks. Let me see you again."

"OK." Ragnarok slipped off the helmet and the emotionless, rubber mask. Precious turned off her disguise as well. She came closer to him.

"I always loved your eyes. It always makes me sad when you put on all those masks. I mean, I know you have to, but then I can't see those eyes."

"Thanks. I like your eyes, too. I remember seeing them at the concert. I didn't remember ever seeing green eyes like that before. I thought they were very pretty, like emeralds."

"Really? Wow."

They were silent for the longest time. They didn't kiss, hug, hold hands, or even come near each other. They just looked into each others eyes. Off in the distance, Precious heard an old love song that she remembered when it was new. It was the most romantic moment she had ever felt.

"That was good," Eli said.

"Yeah. You know, it might work. It's nice to know there's somebody I don't mind looking at."

"Yeah."

"We'll try to figure out someway to get to know each other. Maybe we can chat on the net."

"You want to come back with me?"

"No, I can't. I'm in the middle of something right now. Maybe sometime soon."

"Maybe."

"Well, I gotta go."

"OK. I'll see you."

Precious flew back down thinking that her future did look a whole lot better. She got in the car and rode off to her destiny.

Final note: I won't say this is the last episode. When I make original characters like this, I don't like the story to end too soon. But this probably is the last one I'm going to write for a while. For one thing, I don't have many more ideas (though I might get some when and if new seasons of "Static Shock" and "Teen Titans" are released). For another thing, I'm writing a thesis, and that's taking away a lot of my personal time. I want to thank all of my reviewers for your criticism and encouragement. You have made this the most successful thing I have ever written, and one of the most enjoyable. I hope you guys stick with me when I try to continue.


End file.
